The Lion King 4: Vengeance
by Lovely Fox-Kit
Summary: The sequel to 'The Lion King 3: Calling', story is set during the events of the first Lion King movie but with Kovu and Simba's son, and also Kiara's daughters. Hope this is what those who asked for it wanted, rating will start off tame but will change as the chapters are added.
1. Familial Shadows

**The Lion King 4: Vengeance (a 'Lion King' fic)**

Disc.: If I could ever afford the rights to this highly successful movie/book series, I wouldn't be writing this at the moment.

A/N: So, thanks to an anonymous guest writer, I have decided to embark on another 'Lion King' fic…this one will be based off the first movie and takes place around the childhood of Simba and Kovu's son, Ushujaa, as he grows up with his parents learning about life and everything that comes with it.

Hope I do well enough for you guys to like it as much as the first fic.

 **Summary: Set roughly 8 to 9 months after the end of the first fic. Ushujaa, along with his cousins Neytiri and Vivian, are all learning about what it means to be part of a royal pride…as well as falling in love and being betrayed by someone they never suspected. Mentions of character death, but nothing major.**

*"Talking"

*' _Thoughts/Flashbacks'_

*'Song Lyrics (if requested)'

 **Ch.1- Familial Shadows**

The stars over Africa's savannah glimmered brightly amongst the dark expanse of cobalt blue, a sign that sleep had claimed all those living in the Pridelands…except for one lone vulture, who was watching the animals sleep. After sitting atop a tree branch for the last few hours, the vulture noticed the wind blow over the animals and they all began to awaken one by one.

The sun, by this point, was starting to tinge the clouds a pale pink as all the animals started heading towards Pride Rock. The vulture had spread his wings and decided to follow them to see what they were going off to witness, his yellow-red eyes catching Rafiki walking out of the cave sitting atop the large rock and holding a young male cub up into the air for the animals to see…the parents of the cub smiling happily as the early morning wind caressed them softly.

The vulture recognized the dark furred lion as Kovu, another male lion with a red mane and golden coat stood next to him and they shared a gentle morning kiss. Said vulture was shocked that Kovu would take a male mate, let alone have a child with him…the scraggly looking bird turning back and flying off towards the marsh but changing direction roughly halfway to go down a left set path in the tall grass until he found himself outside a cave where he knew a lion was living inside.

"Lord *Kisasi! I bring urgent news from Pride Rock!"

At first, the vulture thought the lion in the cave wasn't home…but the sound of yawning and muscles popping from stretching out his body pretty much shot down that theory as a lion stepped out into the early morning light.

The lion in question was a dark grey-brown with a chocolate brown mane framing his face, red eyes shimmering with hatred in their depths fell upon the vulture backing away nervously with fear in his eyes. The lion had a black nose and a notch in his right ear from fighting with another male some time ago, his underbelly a pale sandy blonde as he sat down in front of the vulture with a predatory smirk on his face.

"Oh? And just what _is_ this urgent news you've brought to me, *Jasusi?"

"I have come to tell you that…your nephew, Kovu, has chosen a male mate and had a cub with him. I believe that this other lion is the one who killed Lady Zira almost 8 months ago, the one called 'Simba'."

The dark grey-brown lion could hardly believe what he'd heard; his sister's killer had mated with his nephew, _and_ became a parent? Rage filled his body as he could remember the day he found his sister's lifeless body battered by water and trees, with claw marks in her paws and his heart knew then that he wouldn't rest until the killer was done in themselves.

"Um, Lord Kisasi?"

Kisasi looked down at Jasusi, his eyes taking on a glint of deceit as he smirked down at his little messenger bird.

"Yes, Jasusi?"

"What will you do now?"

"Hmm…what, indeed…" Kisasi said as he tapped his paw toes against his slightly elegant chin for a moment before an idea came to him.

If Simba could take his sister from him, then he would take his killer's child in recompense for her death.

"I think I'll pay a visit to my dear nephew and congratulate him on his child's birth. Come, Jasusi…we have a new family to welcome into the world."

Kisasi stretched a little more before he ran off towards Pride Rock, Jasusi following him from above.

(2 hours later)

Kopa was sitting beside his loving mate Nala, the lioness smiling as she watched her son and his mate nuzzle their child happily…nothing could ruin this perfect family atmosphere.

Except Zaira telling them they had a visitor.

Nala and Kopa both walked out of the den and found themselves looking at a lion, both of them almost letting their jaws drop at who was standing before them.

"Z-Zira? How are you still alive?! Simba said that he saw you fall to your death!"

"Wait a second, Your Highness…allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kisasi, and I'm Zira's younger twin brother. She never mentioned me because I was raised away from the Outsider's Pride and forgot that she even _had_ a brother; I heard from a little birdy that my nephew Kovu had recently become a father, and I came to give him my congratulations."

Both lions were wary of this newcomer, but they could smell no lie in his words as he followed them into the cave…but was halted by Nala as she motioned at him to look down towards the bottom level and his eyes saw that his nephew was cuddling with his family.

"I don't think you should disturb them…it's only been a couple hours since Simba gave birth, and he'll be fiercely protective of his child. Besides coming to congratulate your nephew, what did you want?"

Kisasi smiled, it was time to put his plan into action.

"I also heard about a rival pride of cub killers that are roaming the borders of the Pridelands, but they might already be within your territory…mind you, they're extremely good at hiding and won't let themselves be found unless they _want_ you to find them. As a direct relative of your son's mate, I want to help keep the new cub safe by offering my services as a border guard; if you don't believe me, then test me out to see how I perform in tracking others down. I also have a companion, named Jasusi, to help me keep track of things from the air."

Kopa was unsure of this lion's claim, but he could see that Nala wanted to have some peace of mind so he nodded at the other lion that was a dead ringer for Zira.

"There's no need for you to prove your intentions, Kisasi…we appreciate your help, so please do your best to protect Ushujaa and his cousins."

"Cousins?"

"Yes…our daughter Kiara had cubs around the same time that Ushujaa was born, named Vivian and Neytiri. Their father, Nuka, was killed in an ambush. Please, promise you'll help protect all of them."

Kisasi was shocked, he never would've thought his other nephew Nuka would've taken a mate and become a father…his heart sinking a little at the fact that Nuka had died in an ambush. Nevertheless, his plan had been laid and now all that was left was to see it come full circle.

"You have my word that I will do my best to help protect Kovu and Nuka's family from any and all harm."

Kopa and his mate breathed a sigh of relief as they could now sleep easier knowing that there were 2 more set of eyes to keep watch over their new grandchildren.

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T.B.C.- Ooh, Zira's brother has something evil in the works…what could he be planning? Find out by reading and reviewing, but first…it's time for translations!

*Jasusi- Swahili for 'Detective'. I thought it would fit a bird known for being a spy, especially when it comes to finding something to eat.

*Kisasi- Swahili for 'Revenge'. Since he's come back to avenge his sister Zira's death, I figured this name would be perfect for him.

Up next, a time skip takes place and also the introduction of a couple new characters…please let me know how I did, it makes me feel appreciated.


	2. Lessons

**The Lion King 4: Vengeance (a 'Lion King' fic)**

Disc.: If I could ever afford the rights to this highly successful movie/book series, I wouldn't be writing this at the moment.

A/N: I wanna say that the reason I'm writing this fic is because someone reviewed my FMA fic and requested it. And of course, there will be other OC cubs who will be revealed later on in the story…and finally, there will be yaoi and mpreg just like the original fic.

*"Talking"

*' _Thoughts/Memories/Flashbacks'_

*'Song Lyrics (if requested/necessary for a chapter)'

 **Ch.2- Lessons**

(Time skip- 1 year)

The sun was barely over the horizon, and Ushujaa was practically brimming with excitement. His cousins were both still sleeping, but he knew that soon they'd be awake too for today was a very special day.

Today, all of them would be learning how to hunt as the young male cub ran into the den to wake his parents up and get them to take him on his hunting trip. Making sure not to wake any of the other lionesses in the cave, including his grandmother Nala and great grandmother Sarabi, Ushujaa finally found his parents still snoozing away.

"Hey dad, come on and get up!" the young male cub said as he kept talking loudly into his ear. Simba, who was still caught between sleep and being awake, groaned as he spoke to Kovu without opening his eyes.

"Kovu, dear…our son is awake."

"You handle this one…I took care of the last time we went out."

Ushujaa had tired of talking so he pulled on Simba's ear, only to tumble backwards when he pulled a little too hard. After getting back up, he ran up to his golden furred father and rammed into his bottom jaw…Simba looking at his son's narrowed stare sleepily.

"Ok, Ushujaa, I'm up already."

"Yeah, alright!" the young male cub ran out of the cave as the golden furred lion yawned loudly, Kovu waking up not even a minute later along with all the other lionesses. All of them got up and stretched before heading out of the cave to either go hunting or patrolling, Kovu rubbing against his son happily before watching him leave with his mate.

(Pride Rock Edge)

Ushujaa looked out over the Pridelands with Simba, the golden furred lion remembering the very first time he'd sat with his own father at this very spot and recalled what Kopa had said to him that day.

"Take a look, Ushujaa. Everything the light touches is our kingdom."

"Wow."

"A King's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun does every day and night. One day, Ushujaa, the sun will set on _my_ time here…and will rise with _you_ as the new King."

"And this will all be mine?"

"Yes, it will."

"Everything the light touches…" Ushujaa said as he looked down at the land before him, his eyes settling on a darkened patch of land with curiosity.

"Wait…what about that shadowy looking place?" the young male cub asked as he motioned towards the area that was still covered in darkness despite the sun having already risen.

"That area is beyond our borders…you must never go there, Ushujaa."

"But I thought that a King could do whatever he wants."

"Oh come on, son…there's more to being King then just getting your own way all the time." Simba said as he walked away, the younger male cub behind him and speaking in a tone of genuine excitement.

"There's more?"

"Oh yes, Ushujaa…much more."

By the time the two lions had made their way into the savannah, the sun was already almost at mid height as a herd of antelope began jumping across the grass and Simba kept telling his son about all that he'd inherit someday.

"As you may have already noticed, everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As King, you need to understand that balance and respect all living creatures…from the tiny ant to the leaping antelope."

"But dad, don't we eat the antelope?"

"Yes, Ushujaa, but I have one last thing to tell you. When we die, our bodies become the grass…and the antelope eat the grass. And so, we are all connected in the great Circle of Life."

As Simba and Ushujaa looked out over the grassy field, the sound of flapping wings and a shadow flying over them caught the golden furred lion's attention as Zaira landed on a midsized rock in front of them.

"Good morning, Sire…and Ushujaa."

"Good morning, Zaira." Simba said, a smile gracing his face as the young male cub slipped away and tried catching grasshoppers as they jumped through the grass.

The golden furred lion, upon hearing the ruckus behind him, turned to find his son trying to catch what looked like a grasshopper but was failing.

"Ushujaa, what are you doing?"

"Pouncing."

Simba walked up to his son and placed a paw on the small of his back, a smile settling onto his face.

"Here, let an old pro show you how it's done." The golden furred lion said before turning to face Zaira, Simba motioning for her to turn around as he gave his son advice on proper pouncing technique. After a few minutes, Zaira turned back to face her king…only to find that he was gone, and she was scared as not even a minute later she was tackled to the ground by Ushujaa.

Simba looked up and laughed loudly, his son coming back over to him with a proud grin on his face. Before they could get to another lesson, Zaira informed Simba of hyenas being seen roaming the Pridelands.

Immediately, the golden furred lion started running off to deal with the threat.

"Zaira, take Ushujaa home right away!"

"But dad, can't I come?!"

"No, son…go home with Zaira right now and stay there until I get back."

Simba then ran off before Ushujaa could protest further, the young male cub exhaling frustratedly as he started walking off.

"I never get to go _anywhere_."

"Oh, don't worry young master. One day, _you_ will be King…and you can chase those mangy pooches from dawn until dusk."

The young male cub looked up at Zaira with a slight smile on his face as he went back to Pride Rock with her. He noticed that all the other lionesses were out hunting, including his aunt Kiara and cousins Vivian and Neytiri…having nothing else better to do, he decided to go bug his great uncle Kisasi.

(With Kisasi)

The grey-brown lion knocked a bone off the cliff with a swipe of his paw, a sigh escaping his lips as he knew his plan would have to be acted on within the next few days…he'd been waiting for a year with next to no progress, and he was growing impatient. As he walked towards the other side of the cliff ledge he was on slowly, his luck couldn't have turned out to be better as he heard his great nephew coming his way.

"Hey, great uncle Kisasi, guess what?"

Deciding to act like he never knew he was coming, he feigned being startled as he motioned like he'd just been snuck up on before turning to face Ushujaa with a disinterested expression.

"You know I hate guessing games, Ushujaa…what do you want?"

"Oh, not much…but since you asked, I'm gonna be king of Pride Rock."

"Oh goody." Kisasi said sarcastically, but Ushujaa was too excited about what he'd been told to care that his great uncle wasn't being very enthusiastic.

"My dad just showed me the whole kingdom, and I'm gonna rule it all."

"Yes…well forgive me for not leaping for joy, with a bad back and all." The dark grey-brown lion said before flopping down onto his side, the young male lion cub running up to his great uncle and leaning on him before talking again.

"Hey great uncle Kisasi, when I'm king, what'll that make you?"

"A monkey's great uncle."

Kisasi turned his head towards his great nephew and smirked slightly.

"You're so weird."

"You have no idea…so, Simba showed you the whole kingdom, did he?"

"Everything."

"He didn't happen to show you what lies beyond our borders, did he?"

"Well, no…he said I couldn't go."

Deciding to play on the young cub's disappointment, the dark grey-brown lion put a feigned serious expression on his face.

"And he's absolutely right to do so…it's far too dangerous. Only the bravest lions go there."

"Well I'm brave!"

"Be that as it may, you're still not strong enough to go into the shadowy lands."

"But great uncle Kisasi!"

"No no no no, I couldn't possibly do anything that would endanger the life of my favorite great nephew." Kisasi said as he placed his oversized paw on top of Ushujaa's head gently before ruffling his furred skull gently.

"(scoffs) Yeah right, I'm your _only_ great nephew."

The dark grey-brown lion then removed his paw before speaking to Ushujaa again.

"All the more reason for me to protect you. An elephant graveyard is no place for a young Prince…oops!" Kisasi said before looking away embarrassedly for a second, a look of excitement appearing on the young cub's face.

"An elephant _what?!_ Whoa!"

Kisasi then threw his front leg over his eyes in a show of overdramatized self-blame.

"Oh dear, I've said too much…but I suppose you would've found out sooner or later. You are such a clever boy, but I just want you to promise me now…promise me you will never visit that dreadful place." Kisasi said as he pulled Ushujaa close to him with his front leg, both males locking eyes for a moment before the young cub spoke up again.

"No problem."

"That's a good lad…you run along now and have fun; and remember, it's our little secret."

Ushujaa nodded before running off, never even noticing the devious smirk appearing on his great uncle's face. The dark grey-brown lion knew that the young cub had a very curious side, and also a habit of not listening when he was told to stay away from dangerous places…and he used that side of Ushujaa to manipulate him into becoming too excited to resist the chance to explore a forbidden area.

Yes, everything was going according to plan nicely…and very soon, Kisasi would have his long overdue revenge on the one who took his sister away from him.

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T.B.C.- Wow, Kisasi, you're so evil…then again, he _is_ Zira's brother so he _gets_ to be evil and mean. Please read and review, and I shall post the next chapter very soon.


	3. Mischief & Curiosity

**The Lion King 4: Vengeance (a 'Lion King' fic)**

Disc.: If I could ever afford the rights to this highly successful movie/book series, I wouldn't be writing this at the moment.

A/N: So, we all know what happened in the last chapter…this next one features Ushujaa's arranged fiancé, a boy named Vivuli. It's Swahili for 'Shadows', since he's a very dark furred cub and can hide in the dark very well when hunting or playing. His fur color is about 3 shades darker than Kovu's fur, so it's around the same color as his mane…anyway, more details about his appearance as I progress the story when/after I introduce him.

 **Ch.3- Mischief & Curiosity**

The auburn male cub was excited, for today he would be going to see that elephant graveyard his great uncle had mentioned…sure, he'd promised the older lion that he'd stay away from that place, but he just couldn't resist the chance to see something no one else had as he made his way to one of the adjacent cliffs near Pride Rock. When he got there, Ushujaa saw about 3 Outland lionesses and 2 Pride Land lionesses…one of which was his great grandmother Sarabi. The other was a lioness named *Kicheko, who was a beautiful dark cream color with vibrant blue eyes that rivaled the sky and pale cream rings around said eyes.

Between her forelegs was a dark furred cub who had the same coat color as Kovu's mane, the male cub's eyes also blue like his mother's…he was currently being cleaned by Kicheko, the lioness running her flat pink tongue over her son's short fur coat and the cub was thoroughly enjoying the treatment…if the smile on his face was any indication.

"Hey, *Vivuli!"

"Hi, Ushujaa."

"I gotta show you something." The auburn cub said excitedly, the other cub shooting him a glare.

"Ushujaa, I'm kinda in the middle of a bath!"

"And it's time for _yours_." Sarabi said before grabbing her great grandson in her jaws and licking him gently, the cub protesting loudly as she smiled down at him. Her red orbs locked with his forest green ones, the older lioness letting him go so that he could talk to the other cub being cleaned by his mother.

"So where are we going? It's not gonna be any place dumb, is it?"

"No, it's a really cool place." Ushujaa whispered, but Sarabi had caught what he said and decided to interrogate her great grandson to make sure he wasn't going anywhere dangerous.

"So where _is_ this really cool place?"

The auburn cub knew he couldn't really hide his excitement from his great grandmother, so he grinned at her before answering.

"Oh, um…the water hole?"

"The water hole?! What's so great about the water hole!?" Vivuli said irritatedly, his face taking on a slight glare before Ushujaa walked over to him and spoke to him.

"I'll show you when we get there!"

"Oh." Vivuli said, his face now taking on a look of surprise as well as happiness. For as long as he could remember, Vivuli knew that he was gonna become the mate of a Pride Lands Prince; and he was gonna make sure that dream came true, because his heart knew that he and Ushujaa would be together forever as the auburn cub looked at him with a playful glare.

"Um, mom? Can I go with Ushujaa?"

The lioness looked down at her only cub, her expression changing from worried to happy as she spoke to the former Queen of the Pride Lands.

"Hmm…what do _you_ think, Sarabi?"

"Well…" the older lioness said as both male cubs ran up to her and flashed big grins at her, Sarabi eventually giving in to the young cubs' charming smiles.

"It's alright with me."

The two cubs got ready to run off until Sarabi spoke up again, her words ruining their good mood.

"As long as Zaira goes with you."

"(Ushujaa groans) No, not Zaira!"

(45 minutes later)

The two male cubs were talking excitedly, Zaira glancing down and letting a smile slip onto her face. She landed in front of the two male cubs and started speaking happily to them, her behavior suggesting that she misunderstood what they were talking about.

"Oh, just look at you two…little seeds of romance blossoming in the savannah. Your parents will be thrilled that you've each chosen a future mate."

"What?" Ushujaa asked confusedly, the auburn cub having no idea what Zaira was talking about.

"This is wonderful news…wait until your parents hear about this decision."

Vivuli looked at Ushujaa, the two male cubs locking gazes for a short moment before the dark furred cub spoke up.

"Hold on…what are you talking about? What do you mean by 'chosen a future mate'?"

Zaira knew that Ushujaa wouldn't understand unless she broke it down into simpler terms…he wasn't really one for complicated words or sentences, so she decided to cut the poor boy a break.

"One day, you two will get to be married."

At hearing the word 'married', the auburn male cub was filled with a sense of slight disgust…especially at the thought of marrying his best friend. He wasn't really against marrying another male cub, since he knew for a fact that the *Three Sisters blessed all submissive males in a same sex union to be able to carry and give birth to cubs of their own without the need of a surrogate lioness. Even so, he was still a cub and didn't wanna start thinking of that sort of thing until he was older and ready to fall in love…but Ushujaa knew deep in his heart that whoever his true mate was, it definitely wasn't Vivuli.

"Yuck! Ew! I can't marry him, he's my best friend!"

"Yeah, it'd be too weird." Vivuli said, though he was slightly hurt that Ushujaa wasn't really taking what was gonna happen between them when they got older too well…he decided to accept the fact that his future husband wasn't ready to start thinking of marriage just yet, which made him feel a bit better.

"Well sorry to burst your bubble, but you two turtledoves have no choice. It's a tradition going back generations."

"Well when _I'm_ king, that'll be the first thing to go."

"Not as long as I'm around."

"In that case, you're fired."

"Nice try, but only the King can do that."

"My dad or my father?"

"Your dad, Simba."

"Then I'll talk to him about letting you go."

"Sorry, but the King won't be swayed by that request."

"Well, to be fair, Ushujaa _is_ the future King."

"Yeah, Vivuli's right…so you have to do what I tell ya." Ushujaa said as he pulled on Zaira's tail feathers with his paw, the female hornbill growing irritated with the action and turning around to glare at the prince.

"Not yet I don't! And while we're on the subject, you're shaping up to be a pretty pathetic King indeed!"

The two cubs just ignored her and ran off, Zaira taking flight and following them until they managed to give her the slip by hiding inside a fallen tree that was wedged up against another tree…the hole being hidden by the other tree and the tall grass.

After making sure that she really had flown off to look for them elsewhere, Vivuli ran out of the log first and was followed by Ushujaa…both of them happy that they'd finally managed to get away from their extremely annoying babysitter.

"Yeah, we did it! It worked!"

"We lost her."

"I am a genius."

Vivuli scoffed at this claim; he'd helped after all, and he decided to make that known.

"Hey genius, it was _my_ idea."

"Yeah, but _I_ pulled it off."

"With my help!"

"Oh yeah?" the auburn cub said before tackling Vivuli and the both of them rolled around until Ushujaa was on his back with the dark furred cub looming over him, a playful and victorious smirk settling onto his face.

"Pinned ya!"

"Hey, let me up!"

Vivuli removed himself from his future husband, the male cub sitting with a triumphant smirk on his face…Ushujaa tackling him to the ground as the two male cubs fell down a cliff but kept wrestling for dominance, the dark furred cub once more ending up on top of the auburn cub as he smiled down at him again.

"Pinned ya again."

Before the auburn cub could retort, the sound of a nearby geyser erupting loudly caught their attention…both male cubs wondering where exactly they'd ended up.

And more importantly, they wondered how they were gonna get home.

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T.B.C.- So, hope this chapter satisfies you because it took forever to write. Also, here's another translation:

*Kicheko- Swahili for 'Laughter', she's a very happy-go-lucky lioness who enjoys a good joke and isn't afraid to pull a few pranks on her fellow Pridesisters and family from time to time. But, when it's time to get serious, she's always the first to do so and never neglects the lives of her cub or her family members.

*Vivuli- Swahili for 'Shadows', since his fur is a dark color I figured giving him this name would be good for him.

*The Three Sisters- These lionesses are the strongest, fastest, and wisest females who ever lived. Their names are Nguvu (Strength), Kasi (Speed), and Hekima (Wisdom)…they were considered legends by the Pride Landers, and revered as such. It's also believed that they are the ones who gave submissive male lions the ability to carry and give birth to cubs after ascending to the Spirit Realm.

Up next, our two cubs meet the hyenas! How will this meeting turn out? Read and review to make the next chapter get done faster.


	4. Trouble

**The Lion King 4: Vengeance (a 'Lion King' fic)**

Disc.: If I could ever afford the rights to this highly successful movie/book series, I wouldn't be writing this at the moment.

A/N: I just wanna say that things are running smoothly, and the story's progressing nicely…and now, without any further rambling on my part, here's the next chapter!

 **Ch.4- Trouble**

Ushujaa was the first to start making his way up the nearby slope, a smile on his face as Vivuli followed him.

"This is it; we made it!" the auburn cub said as he finally reached the top of the slope, the dark furred cub greeted by the sight of a literal land of bones.

Aside from the path that led to a gigantic elephant skull and skeleton, the whole rest of the land was filled with bones as far as the eye could see…and even some they couldn't see.

"It's really creepy, Ushujaa."

"Yeah…isn't it great?"

"We could get into big trouble."

"I know! (giggles)"

The two cubs jumped down from the slope and began heading towards the elephant skull, which had enormous tusks and eye sockets big enough to crawl through.

"I wonder if its' brains are still in there."

"There's only one way to know…come on, Vivuli, let's go check it out."

Before either of them could take another step, Zaira popped up in front of them…and she was less than pleased as she glared angrily at them.

"The only 'checking out' you'll be doing will be to check out over there."

"Aw man!"

"We're _way_ beyond the boundaries of the Pride Lands."

"Heh, banana beak is scared."

"That's _Mrs._ Banana Beak to you, fuzzy…and right now, we're all in very _real_ danger."

Ushujaa began walking towards the elephant skull with a cocky smile on his face, his posture confident as he began speaking again.

"Danger? Ha! I walk on the wild side…I laugh in the face of danger."

As he let out a confident laugh, three more voices also began laughing…this made the auburn cub jump slightly and run back towards his best friend and Zaira, three hyenas casually walking out of the elephant skull with wide grins on their faces.

"Well well well, Banzai, what have we got here?"

"Hmm, I don't know Shenzi…what do _you_ think, Ed?"

"(Ed speaks gibberish and laughs)"

"That's just what _I_ was thinking…a trio of trespassers!"

The two cubs had never seen hyenas before today, and they were a little scared of them as Zaira tried to smooth over the situation with them.

"And quite by accident, I assure you. A simple navigational error-"

As the female hornbill started walking off while motioning for the two male cubs to start walking ahead of her, Shenzi stepped on her tail feathers and held her in place beneath her paw.

"Whoa whoa, wait a minute…I know you. You're Simba's little stooge."

"I, Madame, happen to be the King's major go-to bird."

Banzai and Ed were circling the two cubs with feral grins on their faces, both male cubs becoming a little more scared as they got this feeling that this situation would end badly.

(In the Pride Lands)

Simba had finally gotten back from his mission to make sure the hyenas were staying away from his family and home when he spotted Kiara bringing the girls back to Pride Rock, both cubs looking like they'd had a wonderful time out with their mother. This made him think of his own son, so he trotted up the cliff and found his mate conversing with Vitani and a couple other lionesses.

Upon hearing Simba clear his throat, they smiled at Kovu before walking off to take guard shifts. The dark furred lion saw his mate approach and nuzzled him affectionately, a deep purr rumbling from each of their chests.

"Kovu, dear, have you seen our son? He was supposed to have come here after I had Zaira take him home."

"No, I haven't seen him since this morning…try asking your grandmother, she may have seen him."

"Ok…I'm just really worried because the sun's starting to go down, and the fact that he's not here means that he may have gone off somewhere."

"Well then, hurry up and bring him home…I'm worried about him too, but one of us has to stay here. Since you're his bearer, you should be the one to bring him back."

Simba nodded at his mate before running off to see his grandmother and ask if she'd seen Ushujaa.

A few minutes later, Simba found his great grandmother relaxing on an adjacent cliff with sadness in her eyes; she dearly missed Mufasa, but after he was killed by poachers when Kopa was just a child she refused to take another mate…because she believed that if she gave herself to another, it would be the same as just forgetting him. Her ears perked up when she heard her grandson Simba approach her, a smile settling onto her face.

"Grandma…you're looking well."

"Thank you, Simba. I'm guessing you're here about Ushujaa."

"Yeah…have you seen him at all today?"

"Yes, I have. He was here earlier to talk to Vivuli, and they went to the water hole…but they've been gone for a long time. Zaira is with them, so she should've brought them home by now; Kicheko is worried too, so maybe you could go down to the water hole and bring them home?"

"Of course…let her know that I'll be bringing both boys home before it gets dark out."

"Thank you so much, Simba…sometimes, you remind me so much of Mufasa. You and your father both look a lot like him, and that gives me the solace I need since his passing."

The golden furred lion nodded at his grandmother before nuzzling her and then running off, the older lioness heading off to find Kicheko and let her know that her son would be home soon.

At the water hole, Simba leaned down to sniff the area and found the scents of both boys…he then began following them and soon found himself in the elephant graveyard, his worry becoming paired with anger at his son's disobedience as he kept following the scents.

(With Zaira, Vivuli, and Ushujaa)

The hyenas had cornered them, the two male cubs and female hornbill trapped inside a young elephant's ribcage as they were now officially frightened. Ushujaa noticed that Vivuli was more scared of them than he was, so he stood in front of him protectively and tried growling at them.

Banzai, Shenzi, and Ed just laughed at the pitiful little roar and egged him on…the next one being loud and echoing all over the walls. This had them confused until Simba jumped down and started beating the living shit out of them, the three hyenas cowering beneath the golden furred lion before they ran off after another loud roar came out of Simba's throat.

Ushujaa walked out of the ribcage with Vivuli not far behind him, the auburn cub walking up to his dad with his ears down slightly.

"Dad, I-"

"You deliberately disobeyed me."

"Dad, I-I'm sorry."

"Let's go home!"

The golden furred lion was not only worried, he was downright pissed that his only son had gone out beyond the border after he'd been specifically told not to. The whole walk back to Pride Rock and the Pride Lands was silent, none of them aware that Kisasi had watched them leave.

An hour later, they were finally in the Pride Lands again…both cubs still keeping quiet, Zaira also not saying anything. Simba's sharp, angry tone brought her out of any musings as she flew towards her King and landed next to him.

"Y-Yes, Sire?"

"Take Vivuli home. I've got to teach my _son_ a lesson."

Ushujaa knelt down in the grass, fear visible on his face and in his eyes. He'd never seen his dad get so angry before, and it scared him right to his core as Zaira soon appeared in front of him and the other dark furred cub.

"Come, Vivuli. Ushujaa…good luck."

The auburn cub watched as his best friend was escorted home by the female hornbill, both male cubs locking eyes briefly before Vivuli turned away and stared out at the horizon as he was taken home.

"Ushujaa!" Simba barked loudly, the auburn cub walking slowly towards his dad. When he was next to his front leg, he sat down and looked away as he steeled himself for a lecture.

"Ushujaa, I'm very disappointed in you."

"I know."

"No, you don't. You could've been killed out there today! You deliberately disobeyed me…and what's worse is that you put Vivuli in danger."

"But…I was just trying to be brave, like you."

Simba looked down at his son, the auburn cub also looking up into his dad's worried red irises.

"I'm only brave when I have to be. Ushujaa, being brave doesn't mean you go looking for trouble."

"But you're not scared of anything!"

The golden furred lion sighed, his face softening with sadness but also relief.

"I was today."

The auburn cub looked at his dad surprisedly, his own eyes filled with shock.

"You were?"

"Yes…I thought I might lose you."

"Oh…I guess even Kings get scared, huh?"

"Mm-hmm."

The two spent the rest of the night talking about little things before heading home, Kovu relieved when his mate and child returned…but like Simba, he was angry with Ushujaa so he lectured him until both were too tired to stay awake anymore. The three lions soon fell asleep inside the cave and let their worries leave them for the night.

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T.B.C.- Whew, man I wrote a lot today…next chapter will be up soon.


	5. Betrayal

**The Lion King 4: Vengeance (a 'Lion King' fic)**

Disc.: If I could ever afford the rights to this highly successful movie/book series, I wouldn't be writing this at the moment.

A/N: Well, we all know what part of the movie this chapter's at…it's the part where Mufasa dies, but I'm gonna pull a total plot twist on that scenario that'll most likely (and hopefully) satisfy all you crazy readers out there. So, without further adieu, I will get the ball rolling.

 **Ch.5- Betrayal**

The day was certainly a hot one, the sun high in the sky over the Pride Lands as the sounds of voices could be heard in the gorge. Kisasi had been asked to spend some time with Ushujaa by Kovu, and the older lion couldn't very well refuse a request from his nephew.

"Now you wait here, Ushujaa. Your dad, Simba, has a marvelous surprise for you."

"Ooh, what is it?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?"

"If you tell me, I'll still act surprised."

"(laughs) You are such a clever boy."

The two lions were at a rock under a single tree, the auburn cub sitting on said rock and placing his paws on the older lion's chest as he pleaded with him.

"Come on, great uncle Kisasi!"

"No no no no, this is just between you and your daddy…you know, a sort of bearer/son…thing. Well then, I'd better go get him."

Kisasi turned away from Ushujaa and was getting ready to leave, but the auburn cub definitely wanted to know what the surprise was so he attempted to follow after the older grey-brown lion.

"I'll come with you."

"No! (laughs) No. Just…sit here on this rock. You wouldn't want another mess like you had with the hyenas."

"You know about that?"

"Ushujaa, everybody knows about that."

"Really?"

"Oh yes…luckily, daddy was there to save you. Oh, and just between us, you might want to work on that little roar of yours."

"Oh, ok." The auburn cub said before sitting back down again, Kisasi turning away and walking off but stopped when Ushujaa spoke to him again.

"Hey, great uncle Kisasi…will I like this surprise?"

The grey-brown lion turned around only enough to look over his own shoulder and spoke to his great nephew before leaving again.

"Ushujaa, it's to die for."

(At the top of the gorge)

Banzai, Shenzi, and Ed were waiting for Kisasi to show up and give them the signal to start the plan while they watched the wildebeest herd graze nearby. The female hyena was fine with waiting for their leader to arrive, but Banzai was getting antsy and complaining about Ed biting his tail too much. Shenzi was about fed up with their behavior, so she glared at both of them.

"Hey, shut up!"

"Aw man, I'm so hungry…I gotta have a wildebeest!"

"Stay put."

"But, can't I just pick off one of the little sick ones?"

"No! We wait for the signal from Kisasi."

As if on cue, the grey-brown lion appeared on the top of the cliff's edge a minute later…and at that moment, the hyenas knew it was time to start the plan as they slinked off into the grass to initiate the first step.

Down in the gorge, Ushujaa was bored as hell waiting for his great uncle and dad to come down into the gorge and give him his surprise. As he played with some stray dirt, a chameleon started walking around on the rock and made its' way past the auburn cub…Ushujaa growling at it, until he finally let out a loud kitten roar that scared it off. The sound echoed off the walls and the auburn cub thought he finally got his roar mastered, his attention taken away from his happy moment as he felt the ground shake beneath his feet and saw little pebbles start rocking around in jerky movements.

Ushujaa's ears perked up at the sound of hooves on the ground coming his way, his joy turning to fear as a wave of wildebeest came running at him…his body frozen in place until he heard them whine loudly and only then did he start running away. The auburn cub didn't want to die today, so he just kept running as fast as he could through the gorge…Ushujaa calling out for his dad the whole time.

Up on the top of the gorge, Kisasi was watching his great nephew run away from the many wildebeest trying to trample him…no pity or sympathy in him as he watched the young cub for a minute longer before walking off to tell Simba what was happening to Ushujaa.

(With Zaira and Simba)

The female hornbill noticed a lot of dust being stirred up in the gorge, which wasn't all that unusual since wildebeest had a habit of running through there all the time when they wanted to go to another grazing patch.

"Oh look, Sire, the herd is on the move again."

Simba looked towards the gorge, the dust blanketing the grass on the tops of the cliffs. Before he could say anything further, Kisasi appeared out of nowhere looking like he'd just gone racing with a cheetah…his eyes holding a strong glimmer of worry.

"Simba, you've got to come with me to the gorge…Ushujaa's down there!"

"What!?"

"He must've gone down there to play, and something upset the wildebeest and made them start running…if we don't hurry, he'll be trampled to death!"

The golden furred lion didn't need to hear anymore, instead he chose to run towards the gorge behind Kisasi…Simba praying to the Sisters that he wasn't too late.

When Simba made it to the gorge, he couldn't see his son anywhere as his eyes kept scanning the moving animals frantically. The sound of fearful screaming caught his attention as he finally saw Ushujaa clinging to a tree in the middle of the gorge and hanging on for dear life as he kept crying. The tree eventually snapped in half when a wildebeest rammed into it, the auburn cub sent flying through the air and screaming in absolute terror…the golden furred lion jumping into the air without hesitation and catching Ushujaa in his jaws.

When he landed on the ground, Simba dodged the wildebeest until he made it to a cliff ledge and set his son down on it. A minute later, the golden furred lion started climbing up the steep cliff face while Ushujaa climbed up some rocks that'd crumbled and made a series of steps for him to use.

Simba was holding onto the cliff edge, his strength leaving him as Kisasi just stood there…after a few minutes of struggling, the grey-brown lion grabbed Simba's paws harshly and smiled cruelly down at him with a twisted grin that reminded him of Zira.

"Payback's a bitch, ain't it?" Kisasi said as he threw the golden furred lion into the wildebeest herd below, the auburn cub watching with horror as his dad went plummeting into the gorge and disappearing into the herd…a terrified scream ripping itself from his throat.

After the herd had finally finished fleeing from what it was that'd frightened them, Ushujaa made his way into the gorge to look for Simba. After looking around for the better half of 10 minutes, he found his dad underneath a lone tree…his eyes closed and his body unmoving. The auburn cub was scared that his dad had joined the Sisters in the heavens above, but he wanted to believe that he was just unconscious from the wildebeest running over him.

"Dad? Come on, dad, wake up. Dad…we gotta go, father's waiting for us."

At seeing that his dad wasn't moving, Ushujaa started crying quietly…tears running down his face as he placed Simba's lifeless front leg around himself and kept crying into his mane. Kisasi walked through the fog of dust and saw that his great nephew was still alive but also that he was most likely blaming himself for what happened to Simba, so he decided to use that to his advantage and manipulate him.

"Ushujaa…what have you done?"

At hearing his great uncle's voice, the auburn cub removed himself from Simba's corpse and started stuttering apologies and other small sentences. Kisasi then walked up to his great nephew and pulled him close, the auburn cub crying again.

"Oh no, of course not…no one ever _means_ for these things to happen, but the King _is_ dead. If it wasn't for _you_ , he'd still be alive."

Ushujaa let those words sink in, his already guilty conscience going into overdrive at what he'd been told.

"Oh…what will your father Kovu think?"

That was the last blow his heart could take, the reality of the situation and that it really _was_ his fault sinking in heavily and staying there like a log in a still river. He looked up at his great uncle with tear filled eyes and sniffled slightly, his voice still trembling a bit.

"What am I gonna do?"

"Run away, Ushujaa…run away and never return."

The auburn cub knew that he could never go home after what he'd done and took off without looking back, the three hyenas who'd caused the whole incident chasing after him with intent to kill. They kept chasing him until he managed to escape them by jumping into a bed of thorny trees below them, Banzai yelling at him that if he came back he'd kill him…Ushujaa never looking back at the home he'd left behind as his guilt fueled his every step towards anywhere but his old life, the auburn cub's tears also being left behind.

(At Pride Rock)

Kisasi had gathered every lioness, cub, and Kovu as he stood at the top of the cliff and gave them the tragic news.

"Simba's death was a terrible tragedy, but to lose Ushujaa too…that breaks the very heart of me."

All of them could hardly believe what they'd heard…especially Kovu, Kiara, Kopa, Nala, Sarabi, Vivian, and Neytiri. Kisasi couldn't possibly be telling the truth, but from his tone and the tears escaping his eyes they knew he wasn't lying. Vivuli was also crying because he'd lost not only his best friend but also his fiancé, the rest of Simba and Ushujaa's blood relatives sobbing as Kisasi kept speaking to them.

"For me, this is a deep and personal loss…so it is with a heavy heart that I assume the throne until such time that Vivian or Neytiri can take my place. Yet out of the ashes, we shall rise to greet the dawn of a new era…in which lion and hyena come together, in our greatest and most glorious future!"

And thus began Kisasi's reign of tyranny and starvation, Kovu retreating to the back of the cave and sobbing loudly…he felt like the other half of his soul had been taken with the news of his mate and child's deaths, Kiara and her daughters joining him and crying their eyes out.

The only thing they could do now was hope that they could manage to survive amongst the grief, pain, and darkness.

(In the gorge)

The moon was shining brightly upon the tree that Simba was laying under, the wind blowing over him cold as he opened his eyes a minute later…his lungs demanding oxygen as he finally managed to regain his bearings. It seemed the Three Sisters weren't ready for him to die, so he was given this chance to live again and he wouldn't waste it. But he couldn't go back to Pride Rock just yet, so he slipped away to heal his injuries and regain his strength…he just hoped with all his heart that either Kiara or Kovu could keep the land out of Kisasi's paws until he came back.

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T.B.C.- So, that part was really sad to write but I promise it will get happier in the chapters to come. Anyway, hope you guys liked the plot twist with Simba and I have an idea for what will happen to Ushujaa…it will occur in the next chapter, so be ready for when it happens.


	6. New Home

**The Lion King 4: Vengeance (a 'Lion King' fic)**

Disc.: If I could ever afford the rights to this highly successful movie/book series, I wouldn't be writing this at the moment.

A/N: So, it's coming to a very important point in the story…I won't give away too much, but it's around this part where Ushujaa finally meets his true mate…and it's _not_ Vivuli. Sorry for those who were hoping it would be, but it's not. Anyway, here we go with the chapter!

 **Ch.6- New Home**

The sun was high in the sky, the ground beneath it cracked and dry from lack of water…vultures were circling around in the sky over the cub's body sprawled out and unmoving, his auburn fur soaking up the rays. Ushujaa had been running almost nonstop for 2 days…but the lack of rest, food, and water had finally caught up with him and he collapsed the previous night.

As the vultures saw a chance for an easy meal, they all landed on the ground and started hobbling towards the auburn male cub's body…the birds completely unaware that someone was watching them. As soon as they got close enough, a loud roar scared them away as a lioness emerged from the bushes nearby.

She was a pale cream white with deep brown eyes and dark rings around them, her nose pink-brown as she walked over to the collapsed cub and began sniffing him. She was surprised to find that he was still alive, so she gently picked him up in her jaws and brought him into the jungle.

20 minutes later, the pale lioness was staring at a huge open area of jungle…the many trees and oversized leaves, with large lakes that had clear water, had created a veritable paradise on earth for the lioness and her family. Her mate, a lion with cinnamon-brown fur and a fluffy dark brown mane, was playing with her sister's cubs…her mate having been killed some time ago. The lioness herself was dark brown with bright green eyes and a black nose, a scruff of hair on top of her head as she smiled at her cubs enjoying the playtime. The lion looked up when he heard a rustling in the bushes, a smile appearing on his face when he saw his mate coming his way…the expression becoming one of surprise when he saw that she had a cub in her jaws.

"*Maelewano, care to explain about the cub you have in your jaws?"

The lioness rolled her eyes playfully at her husband's bluntness, Maelewano setting the cub down on the soft dirt in front of him.

"Yes, it's nice to see you too, dearest *Jua. As for this cub, I found him collapsed in the desert and at the mercy of vultures. He looks like he ran a great distance to end up out here in our territory."

Jua looked at the cub before walking over and sniffing him, the scent of grass and dirt coming off him…as well as tears.

"He may have been crying, because I smell tears on him…if he came out here, then he must have been abandoned or almost killed by someone."

"But who would want to kill such an innocent child?"

"I'm not sure, my Queen, but if he made it this far then he's obviously being hunted by someone."

"What will we do about him? We can't just turn him away, and besides…we don't have a cub of our own."

Jua was aware of what his mate was suggesting, and he'd always wanted a son to look after and teach the ways of the world…since his mate was unable to have her own child, perhaps this cub was the answer to all their prayers and the Three Sisters had finally given them what they had been yearning for.

"Honey, I know that look…are you wanting to keep this cub and raise him?"

"Well, you've always wanted a cub, Maelewano…and he won't survive if we abandon him."

The lioness smiled happily at her mate; the both of them had been wanting a cub of their own, and perhaps the Sisters had finally answered their prayers.

"Then let's not turn him away…what should we name him?"

Just as the cinnamon brown lion was about to speak, the auburn cub moaned slightly and opened his dark green eyes…the light blinding him temporarily before he regained his sight, Ushujaa being greeted by a lioness and a lion.

Fearing for his life, Ushujaa backed away until he was hiding in a bush and hoping that they would spare his life. The sound of paws treading softly on the ground made him flinch as he wrenched his eyes shut, the sound stopping a few feet from him and the auburn cub knew he was gonna die…shock overcoming him when he heard the gentle laugh of the lioness.

"Why on earth are you hiding from us, little one? Are you afraid of me and my mate?"

Almost too afraid to speak, Ushujaa finally managed to choke back his fear and spoke in a stuttering voice.

"Y-Yes."

"Why?"

"B-Because, you're gonna…k-kill me."

"No, we won't. Please, come out little one…I promise that I will not kill you, and neither will my mate."

Still a bit afraid of the lioness and her mate, the auburn cub eventually came out of the bush and sat down in front of the lioness. He had to admit, she was very beautiful…he'd never seen a lioness so pale, but he was still somewhat afraid of her even as she spoke to him in a reassuring tone.

"My name is Maelewano, this is my mate Jua (motions to Jua) and my sister *Nyota (motions to Nyota)…and these two little troublemakers (motions to the two cubs) are *Hofu (left) and *Aibu (right)."

Ushujaa looked at the other lions in front of him, his fear receding slightly at seeing two cubs around his age…the one on the left had dark red fur and yellow-red eyes with dark brown rings around them, a scruff of mane on top of his head and a brown nose. The one on the right was light brown with pale rings around his eyes, which were bright blue and a small mane was on his head. His nose was pale pink and he had a slight smile on his face, which made the auburn cub feel a little less afraid than before.

"So, what's _your_ name little one?" Jua asked, his deep voice causing Ushujaa to shrink back slightly in fear but he gulped his fear down and answered the question.

"I-It's Ushujaa."

Maelewano saw that the cub was still slightly afraid so she reached out and pulled him towards her body, the auburn cub tensing up but eventually calming down when she started gently stroking his back and he let pent up tears flow freely. After an hour of crying and stroking, Ushujaa fell asleep and all of them decided to save any further questions for tomorrow. Jua curled up beside his mate and Maelewano smiled as she held the auburn cub close to her before they both drifted off to sleep.

(Next day)

Ushujaa woke up and went down to the lake, the auburn cub staring at the water after taking a drink from it. He just couldn't get over how his great uncle betrayed him and killed his dad, then the whole meeting with this kindhearted lioness and her family was too much for him to take in as he laid down on his stomach. As he stared at the water, Maelewano came to sit next to him and the auburn cub didn't even bother moving away this time.

"Good morning, Ushujaa."

"(sadly) Oh, good morning."

"So…do you wanna tell us how you got here?"

"No, not really…I don't wanna talk about it."

The pale lioness knew that it would be useless to ask him again, so she decided to change the subject.

"You know, I've never seen a lion with your fur color before…you certainly take after your parents. I think they might be looking for you."

"If they were, I'd be back home by now…they probably think I ran away from home, and I can't go back after what I did."

Maelewano couldn't stand seeing the young cub so brokenhearted, so she attempted to suggest something that might make him feel better.

"Well, my sister is out hunting for the day and Jua is checking with some of the other jungle prides…I'm currently babysitting my nephews, but perhaps they could give you a tour of the jungle? That might take your mind off of all that's happened."

The auburn cub looked up at the pale lioness for a minute before getting up and walking away, Maelewano hoping that Ushujaa would feel better soon. From what she could gather about what he'd told her, something traumatic must've happened to him and he was trying to cope with it by denying what happened and refusing to talk about it.

(With Hofu and Aibu)

The two brothers were playing tag when they heard the bushes nearby rustle, Ushujaa stepping out a minute later looking like someone had died and he witnessed it. Hofu felt bad for the auburn cub, so he walked up to him and spoke to him.

"Hey, are you alright? You look really upset. Can we do anything to help you feel better?"

Ushujaa looked at Hofu; he appreciated that the cub was trying to help him feel better by asking if he could help…the auburn male cub glad that neither brother had pressed the issue of his past. He noticed that Aibu was looking away and acting somewhat shy, but he decided not to dwell on it and agreed to the jungle tour that Hofu had suggested.

After 6 hours of walking through the jungle and meeting the other jungle prides, Ushujaa was smiling and feeling better even though he still felt guilty as all hell over what happened with his dad Simba.

When he settled in with Jua and Maelewano for the night, a smile was still on his face as he fell asleep…both lions happy that the auburn cub was feeling better.

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T.B.C.- So, this chapter was definitely fun to write. Up next, a time skip will occur so be ready for it. And now, more translations:

*Jua- Swahili for 'Sun', he was born during a sunny afternoon and is a big sweet goofball with his nephews. He cares for all the jungle prides, even going so far as to help them acquire food if they need help hunting.

*Maelewano- Swahili for 'Harmony', she is a very even tempered lioness with a heart of gold and a great sense of humor. She was found to be infertile, and has tried several times in the past to get pregnant but all attempts to do so have failed. Even so, that hasn't done anything to diminish her motherly side when it comes to her nephews.

*Hofu- Swahili for 'Fear', he's a boy who tries to put on a brave face and be overconfident, but he tends to get scared very easily. Though he's afraid of a lot of things, he will try to put it aside when his brother is in trouble or danger.

*Aibu- Swahili for 'Shy', he's as his name implies…a very shy boy, but when he gets used to something or someone his shyness will pull back and his playful side comes out. He loves to tell jokes and go swimming, and especially loves spending time with his family.

*Nyota- Swahili for 'Stars', she was born on the night of a meteor shower. She's a little ditzy at times, but does mean business when absolutely necessary. Her mate, a lion named *Theluji, was killed due to his snow white coat. Since then, Nyota has been raising her sons with the help of her sister and brother-in-law.

*Theluji- Swahili for 'Snow', he was born an albino with red eyes and a nose so pale it looked white but was actually an extremely pale grey. He was Nyota's mate, but he went out hunting and was killed by poachers for his white coat and mane. When she found out, Nyota was devastated but managed to get through her grief with the help of her family.

Next chapter will be ready soon, so don't worry about it not getting done. Until then, see you guys later!


	7. Trust Is Born

**The Lion King 4: Vengeance (a 'Lion King' fic)**

Disc.: If I could ever afford the rights to this highly successful movie/book series, I wouldn't be writing this at the moment.

A/N: So, in this chapter, we'll focus on the steadily growing love between Ushujaa and Aibu…if I can manage it, I'll post pics of them both and then you can see them for yourselves so you get a visual look at them instead of just imagining what they look like. I'll do individual pics of them as cubs and adults, then a romantic pic of them together. Hopefully they come out good, so please be kind to them.

 **Ch.7- Trust Is Born**

When morning came around, Ushujaa yawned loudly, the auburn cub stretching his stiff muscles as he smacked his lips together quietly…he didn't want to wake the two lions with him, especially since they were kind enough to take care of him. Making sure to be as quiet as possible, Ushujaa crept away from Maelewano and Jua and made his way towards the nearest lake so that he could clean himself up.

When he arrived at his destination, the auburn cub tested the water to make sure it was cool because it was pretty warm in the jungle; after a few seconds of touching the water with his paw, Ushujaa deemed it to be at the perfect temperature so he slowly made his way into the water and started swimming around in circles. He would've kept swimming all day, had it not been for Aibu coming down to the lake to drink. Getting a mischievous smirk on his face, the auburn cub silently sank down below the water's surface and made his way over to the cub drinking with his eyes closed.

Aibu was having a pretty good morning, so he decided to go to the nearest lake and drink the refreshing water. As he softly lapped up the water, he had no idea that someone else was there with him…until Ushujaa came bursting out of the water in front of him with a growl/roar, the sound and sight of the auburn cub scaring him to the point where he jumped backwards until he landed on his ass, the other cub breathing heavily with wide eyes and a paw over his heart as he glared at the auburn cub that was laughing at him.

"Ushujaa, that wasn't funny!"

"(laughs) Oh come on, it was hilarious! The look on your face when I sprang out at you, it was priceless!"

After glaring at Ushujaa for another minute, an idea popped into the pale brown lion's head and a sly smirk appeared on his face.

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah, it sure was!"

"Well then…maybe I should join you."

Before the auburn cub could ask what he meant, the pale brown cub ran towards the lake and jumped into the water…the splash making Ushujaa even wetter than he already was. The auburn cub then felt a sense of playfulness as he jumped back into the water and the two cubs played in the lake for most of the morning and half the afternoon, the sun rising higher as Ushujaa walked with Aibu towards a smaller lake teeming with fish.

Ushujaa looked confusedly at his companion, Aibu grinning like the cat that had caught the canary and walked over towards the edge of the lake. His blue eyes followed the movements of a very big and very fat fish as he raised his paw then held it still, his claws quietly unsheathing themselves and a second later the pale brown cub swiped at the water…the fish landing on the shore and flopping around until it stopped moving.

The pale brown cub walked over to the fish and shared it with Ushujaa, both cubs eating until there were only bones left. When the auburn cub's stomach rumbled and he grinned sheepishly, Aibu rolled his eyes lazily as he motioned for the other male cub to follow him to the edge of the water.

"So, you guys go fishing?"

"Yeah, because there's not many other animals to eat around here…I'll show you how to catch your own so I don't have to do it all the time. The key is to stay still and silent, wait for your prey to come along and keep your eyes on it. Then, silently raise your paw and let your claws out…as soon as it gets close enough, swipe as fast as you can so it will get caught and fly out of the water. Then, let it stop moving and then you can eat. You understand all that?"

"Yeah, at least I think so."

"Alright, then give it a try…remember, still and silent."

Both cubs spent the rest of the afternoon fishing and eating, neither aware that Maelewano had been watching them the whole day…a smile on her face as she saw that the auburn cub was finally letting his guard down little by little. By the time night rolled around, Ushujaa had let his guard down a little more and considered Aibu a friend as he walked back towards where Maelewano and Jua were starting to settle in…the auburn cub yawning as he took the familiar place between the two lions and fell asleep soon afterwards.

Jua looked at his mate and grew curious as to why she was smiling like she'd just been trying to seduce him.

"Dear, why are you smiling? Did something happen today?"

"Oh, not much…I watched our little foundling and Aibu play together all day, then they went fishing. I've never seen Ushujaa smile so much in the time he's been here with us; it makes me very happy."

"Hmm, then I'd say that today was a good day for those two cubs. I wonder…"

"Wonder what, dearest Jua?"

"If those two will ever fall in love and become a mated pair…they seem to get along well enough, and even Hofu told me he's noticed Ushujaa loosen up a little more around his brother."

"If they do become mates, then I will be very happy for them…especially since Aibu can carry cubs."

"Then that's even more reason to be happy, Maelewano…a loving couple with cubs makes for a very happy marriage; at least I think so."

"As do I, Jua…now let's get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow, and we'll need every bit of energy that we can get."

The two mates then settled in and fell asleep themselves, the day having gone so great only aiding to their peaceful slumber.

(Time skip- 3 months)

As the days went by, Ushujaa found himself enjoying his time in the jungle…his heart was healing, because Aibu was always there by his side to make the days seem just a little bit better.

(Time skip- 6 months)

Aibu was currently watching the stars, his mind unable to rest because of how much he was enjoying the time he was spending with Ushujaa…the auburn cub always on his mind, even when he was asleep. Ushujaa always had something interesting to say, he was funny and smart, he could swim and climb tress and always knew the best places to nap or pull pranks on the other jungle cubs.

In general, the pale brown cub felt strange emotions welling up inside him whenever he was around or thinking about the auburn cub. His stomach fluttered when he smiled, he felt sad when they were apart or the other was upset, and he felt jealous whenever another cub would start spending time with him…whether they be male or female.

Aibu just couldn't figure out why he felt this way, so he asked his brother Hofu and he told him that he had gotten a crush on Ushujaa…which made him roll his eyes and call his brother an idiot for having such a ridiculous idea like that.

Although, now that he thought about it, maybe it wasn't so ridiculous after all as the pale brown cub finally walked back to his family's den and fell asleep shortly afterwards.

(Time skip- another 3 months)

It'd been a year since Ushujaa had come to the jungle and he had grown into a fine young teen. It was also around this time that Maelewano had told him that it was time for him to think about taking a mate, and maybe starting a family of his own…the auburn cub no longer a cub, but rather he was now a sleek and accomplished hunter who could fish _and_ hold his own in a fight.

His tuft had grown into a small mane that stretched down to rest between his shoulder blades and draped over his eyes slightly…bangs framing his young face while more of his mane framed his neck before connecting at the bottom near his shoulders. The already dark hair had grown darker to the point where it was almost black, but in the sun it looked much like semi charred tree bark.

Aibu himself had grown up beautifully, his pale brown fur growing a full shade lighter and staying pale chocolate brown as his mane came in a little bit…the strands a light color that matched his deceased father's mane, and in direct sunlight they looked almost white.

Hofu, on his part, had also grown up really well…he'd become a bit bulkier and grew a jet black mane that was semi slicked back and made him look more regal, his appearance a real head turner as more than a few females had approached him asking to be his mate…all of which he'd turned down because he knew that the one he was meant for wasn't in the jungle, but rather out beyond his home and he wouldn't settle down until she was at his side.

(Time skip- 2 months)

Ushujaa was nervous, his stomach doing flips and his heart racing wildly…he'd been feeling strange around Aibu lately, and he could only guess why but he had to be sure so he'd told Nyota this morning that he wanted to talk to the pale chocolate brown lion in private. The lioness completely understood what he was getting at, so she told him that she'd send Aibu along when she got the chance to pass along the message.

The sun was at mid point in the sky, which denoted early afternoon as the auburn lion was standing in front of a massive tree root and pacing repeatedly while trying his hardest not to panic…especially when he heard a smooth and slightly high pitched voice reach his ears, Ushujaa stopping and taking in the sight of the beautiful lion in front of him.

"Hi, Aibu."

The other lion looked away shyly, a light blush painting the bridge of his nose as he struggled to maintain eye contact with the very attractive lion in front of him.

"H-Hi, Ushujaa. My mom said that you had s-something to tell me?"

"Oh, yeah…please, follow me." The auburn lion said as he climbed over the tree root, a smile gracing his lips when he saw Aibu follow after him. The two lions kept walking through the jungle and climbing over/under tree roots until they arrived at a collection of large tree leaves blocking their view, Ushujaa smiling when he knew they were at the right place.

"Ushujaa, where exactly _are_ we?"

"It's a secret place, one that I found a few days ago…I wanted to share it with you. Come on inside, I know that you'll love it."

The pale chocolate brown lion was confused, but pleasantly surprised when the auburn lion moved the leaves aside so he could walk in ahead of him…the sight that greeted him causing his breath to catch in his throat.

What Aibu saw was a large field that was cradled by large trees, soft moss covering the ground and a waterfall off to the right that fed into a large crystal clear lake. The water was deep and blue, sand colored dirt at the edge of the water as the trees opened at the top to allow sunlight to filter through and cover the area in soft golden light.

He was so busy taking in the beautiful sight that he never noticed Ushujaa come in behind him until he was next to him, the auburn lion's voice catching him off guard.

"So? What do you think?"

"I…I-I don't know what to say…it's all so…"

"Beautiful?"

"Breathtaking…why bring me out to a place like this?"

Rather than answer his question, Ushujaa trotted up to the other lion and kissed him on the lips…Aibu shocked when the auburn lion's lips connected with his own, the fur soft against his own as they locked eyes.

"Because, I thought it would be perfect for us to spend our lives together here…Aibu, I think I know why I've been feeling the way I have for the last year that I've known you. If you don't feel the same, then I understand and I'll find another after I tell you how I feel about you."

The pale chocolate brown lion was unable to form words, so he nodded at Ushujaa…which the auburn lion took as a sign to continue.

"Aibu…I think…no, I know that…I'm in love with you, and I want you to be my mate. So, what do you have to say?"

Aibu was, again, unable to form words but after a minute or two of letting the confession sink in he finally looked Ushujaa straight on and uttered an answer to the other lion's words.

"Y-Yes, Ushujaa…I will be your mate, because I feel the same way about you."

At hearing Aibu say that he felt the same, the auburn lion felt the biggest grin fall onto his face as he kissed his mate-to-be again…the pale chocolate brown lion responding by opening his mouth and allowing the other male lion to run his tongue over his fanged teeth as the two made out furiously for a few minutes. When they needed to break for air, they decided to nuzzle each other affectionately before leaving the beautiful clearing together to tell Nyota of their mutual decision.

(Time skip- 1 year)

The two males were currently sitting in front of a cluster of trees as their vows were recited and they sealed their marriage vow with a kiss, thus making it official as their foreheads were painted with each other's blood. When the blood marks dried and then disappeared, the two males were officially married as they celebrated with their families and the other jungle prides. Even though mated couples were married pretty much every other year, each one was a celebration and a happy affair.

(That night)

The two mates were busy engaging in a fierce makeout session, tongues caressing each other until it got to the point where Ushujaa wanted nothing more than to mount his beautiful mate and completely make him his. Aibu knew that his mate wanted to consummate their union, so he got up and walked away long enough to present himself to the auburn lion…Ushujaa walking over and gently nipping the base of his spine before draping himself over the pale chocolate brown lion's body and gently pushing himself inside before he was buried completely inside Aibu's virginal walls.

The clearing was filled with the sounds of grunting, moaning, and panting as both males could feel their release coming…Ushujaa thrusting wildly as Aibu moaned loudly in pleasure, the auburn lion releasing his seed inside his mate as a knot was formed that wouldn't go down for quite a while.

After another hour and a half of shallow thrusting and grunting, the knot finally disappeared as the auburn lion pulled out of his mate. The two lions tiredly cuddled together for the rest of the night as Aibu smiled happily, his mate's seed still inside him and making him feel satisfyingly full.

The only other thing left to do was pray to the Three Sisters that the two mates would soon be having a cub of their own, thoughts of a family making their dreams happy as they slumbered away in their new home.

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T.B.C.- Whew, I finally finished the chapter. Sorry if the lemon was weird, but I've only written animal lemons a few times and don't have much experience with it. Anyway, up next we have our reunion with Ushujaa and his cousin Vivian, as well as his reunion with Vivuli! How will this play out? You will have to wait for the chapter to appear to find out.


	8. Reunion

**The Lion King 4: Vengeance (a 'Lion King' fic)**

Disc.: If I could ever afford the rights to this highly successful movie/book series, I wouldn't be writing this at the moment.

A/N: Wow, I can't believe I'm this far into the story…as promised, I will do a time skip but not right away. You'll see why when I actually start the chapter.

 **Ch.8- Reunion**

Jasusi was currently flying around the Pride Lands, as instructed by the current King. Ever since Kisasi came into power with the hyenas, it's been hell for all the lions…especially Kovu. He spent his days staring out at the sky and distancing himself from his family, his mind and heart still heavy with the news of Simba's death. The fact that his son was also dead didn't really help stop the grieving process as he seemed to just give up on life.

Vivian and Neytiri, under Kiara's guidance, became experienced hunters…but with the animals all gone, they were barely making it by as it was. Some of the lionesses had even taken to eating the hyenas, but by the time bones were found they looked like the bones of animals that'd died while trying to leave the Pride Lands. Jasusi had seen the lionesses kill and eat the hyenas to fill their empty stomachs, but he decided to keep quiet about it.

As for Vivuli, he'd taken the news pretty hard…but decided not to grieve forever over the auburn cub that was his fiancé. He'd gotten better at hunting and that kept his mind off of the loss; he'd even begun a relationship with a male cheetah named *Haraka, but that ended when the swift cat's family left the Pride Lands. It wasn't long afterwards that a group of animal poachers came through the area but had been run out by other humans, most of their cargo left behind…including a male tiger named *Shakti. The large cat wasn't used to seeing lions or lionesses outside his cage, so he was a bit hostile towards them. He even retreated into a cave to keep away from them, but ultimately Vivuli had managed to warm up his cold heart…and the two had fallen in love. Some time after their relationship took off, the two males were married and now Vivuli was pregnant with Shakti's cub.

The two lovers were busy trying to keep from starving, as well as keep Vivuli and Shakti's cub from dying as the days went by slowly. The dark furred lion knew that they'd have to either find food soon, or leave the Pride Lands forever…and they both wanted to make a home for their child in this land, so they decided to hold out for as long as possible. As Vivuli's baby bump gradually got bigger, Shakti's happiness also grew with it as they both felt nothing could ruin their blissful days together.

It was on this day, however, that the dark furred lion watched Vivian take a patrol shift around the Pride Lands…her eyes scanning everything quickly but acutely. Neytiri soon trotted up next to her sister and looked out over the land with her, the two lionesses looking frailer and skinnier than ever.

"Vivian?"

The older pale grey lioness looked at her younger sister when she spoke to her, their gazes locking for the whole of the conversation.

"Yes, Neytiri?"

"I'm worried about uncle Kovu…he's not doing so well, and he keeps staring out at the sky."

"Well, he lost his mate and child in one day…how would you feel if that happened to you?"

The younger grey-brown lioness tried imagining it, and found it to be devastating…tears falling from her eyes at the thought.

"You see? Now you know how he's felt for the last couple years, and even if he _does_ take another mate it won't relieve the pain he feels in his heart."

"I guess you're right, Vivian. So, what will we do now? We can't keep living like this; hyena meat only barely keeps our bellies filled for a day. If we don't find food soon, we'll all starve to death."

The older pale grey lioness knew her sister was right…if food wasn't found soon, none of them would live to see winter's arrival.

"Neytiri, I have an idea of how to get some food…but it will mean going a great distance to find it."

The younger grey-brown lioness looked at her sister confusedly.

"How? Last I checked, there are no animals in the Pride Lands to hunt."

"Exactly…in order to find animals to hunt, I'll need to leave the Pride Lands for a while." Vivian said determinedly, her sister looking at her with pleading eyes that begged her not to leave their home.

"I know that look, Neytiri; I promise you, mom, uncle Kovu, and all our Pridesisters that I will return safely."

Neytiri nodded hesitantly before nuzzling her sister affectionately; before she could leave, however, Shakti and Vivuli trotted up to her…the two mates looking at the pale grey lioness.

"Vivian…I'm coming with you. I know that I won't find any food for my cub if I stay here, and Shakti feels the same. Even if he's against the idea, he and I both know that I could miscarry or have a stillborn if I don't eat something soon."

Vivian could see that the pregnant male lion wasn't gonna change his mind, so she nodded at him and watched as the two mates shared a brief nuzzle of affection. After another minute, the two lions ran off towards the border of the Pride Lands before disappearing from Neytiri and Shakti's gazes. Wherever they ended up, the older pale grey lioness and dark furred lion could only hope that there was food for them and their families.

(2 days later)

Vivian found herself stalking something moving around in the tall grass, the blades tarnished wheat yellow from the constant sunlight. The creature soon raised its' head and the pale grey lioness couldn't believe her luck, for moving through the grass was an antelope with ears flicking left and right to listen for sounds nearby. After making sure there were none, the creature went back to grazing and Vivian saw her chance to attack; Vivuli watched as the lioness carefully stalked the antelope through the grass, the dark furred lion impressed with her skill as they both stayed downwind of their prey and out of sight. When the opportunity arose, the pale grey lioness wasted no time at all and began moving towards her prey quickly and quietly.

Crouching down, the pale grey lioness propelled herself forward through the grass and started running towards her prey…the antelope seeing the lioness coming his way and running towards the jungle, the predator giving chase to her prey and following it through the thick underbrush as they jumped over fallen logs until the antelope was trapped under a tree root.

Vivuli followed after Vivian as fast as he could, the dark furred lion's stamina lessened by the fact that he was starving and pregnant as he tried to keep up with the pale grey lioness chasing the antelope through the grass.

(Elsewhere with Ushujaa and Aibu)

The auburn lion was currently snuggling with his mate Aibu, the two males twining their tails together and purring. The two had been together ever since they were cubs and had gotten married a year later, their marriage reaching its' second year. The auburn lion would've kept cuddling with his mate, but both were distracted by loud roars and the sound of undergrowth being trampled over.

Ushujaa knew that not many animals crossed through the jungle, except the occasional antelope and maybe giraffe, but this sounded different than the roars of the jungle lions. The auburn lion was in full on protect mode, especially since his mate was pregnant and carrying their child in his belly.

"Aibu, stay here until I find out what's making that noise."

"I'll go with you."

"Sorry, but not this time. I don't want you or the baby getting hurt, and this probably isn't anything to worry too much over. Trust me when I say that I'll be back soon." The auburn lion said as he nuzzled his mate reassuringly before trotting off, Aibu sighing as he prayed that his mate would return safely.

When Ushujaa found the source of the noise, he instantly grew angry at what he saw: a pale grey lioness hunting in his family's territory. He knew for a fact that there were no grey lionesses in any of the jungle prides, and the fact that there was a non-native lioness hunting in the jungles made him even angrier. Seeing that the antelope was about to be killed, Ushujaa jumped at the lioness and tackled her.

Vivian could practically feel her stomach aching for sustenance; the antelope would definitely fill her belly up as she got ready to take down her prey. She realized at the last minute that she'd left Vivuli behind, but knew he'd catch up soon enough. As she geared up to deliver the final attack, she didn't expect to be attacked herself by another lion…the two of them growling, roaring, biting, and scratching until Vivian ended up on top of the lion beneath her.

She could tell it was a male, he had auburn fur and a dark colored mane framing his neck and face with deep green eyes that seemed to pierce her soul…she continued to growl at the male beneath her, said auburn lion letting his eyes connect with hers and a spark of familiarity flashed through him.

"Vivian?"

The pale grey lioness stopped growling the second he said her name, Vivian backing off and sitting in a submissive stance against the tree…her ears back and eyes slightly wide as this unfamiliar male kept speaking to her with shock and wonder in his voice.

"Is that really you?"

"Who _are_ you?"

The auburn lion almost didn't recognize his cousin, Vivian having grown up so much in the 2 years he'd been away from the Pride Lands but he was definitely happy to see a familiar face.

"It's me, Ushujaa."

The pale grey lioness let the name sink in, her mind wondering where she'd heard that name before.

"Ushujaa?"

The auburn lion nodded at her with a grin on his face, and that's when she recognized him…her cousin Ushujaa used to grin like that when he was really happy, and the familiarity hit her full force as she too grinned widely before the two cousins started asking each other a million questions a second.

The antelope took this chance to run away, the two lions chatting before Vivian grew sad at seeing her cousin alive…it meant that for the last couple years, she and all the others back at Pride Rock had been lied to about his death.

"What's wrong, Vivian?"

"It's like you're back from the dead…you don't know how much this means to anyone…how much it means to me."

"Hey, it means so much to me to see you again too."

"I've really missed you, cousin."

"And I've missed you, too."

The two lions purred softly while nuzzling each other, thoughts of Aibu running through Ushujaa's head as he finally ended the purring session between them and looked off towards the clearing that his mate was waiting for him at. Vivian noticed that her cousin was staring off towards a section of the jungle, the auburn lion looking back at his cousin again.

"Ushujaa, what are you looking at? Is someone there?"

"Oh, um no…I need to get back to Aibu, he's probably worried about me and I promised him I'd be back soon."

"Who's Aibu?"

"I guess I should tell you what happened a couple years ago, walk with me and I'll fill you in." the auburn lion said as Vivian started following him through the jungle, the pale grey lioness patiently taking in every word her cousin was telling her.

By the time they were close to the home that Aibu and Ushujaa shared, Vivian was shocked to hear what had happened to her cousin…but he still hadn't answered her question about this Aibu lion he'd mentioned earlier, the auburn lion grinning at her like he'd accomplished his first ever hunt as he walked through some leaves and then motioned for her to follow him when he poked his head back out through the green foliage.

Vivian walked through the leaves hesitantly, her eyes taking in everything as her breath hitched in her throat and a huge smile bloomed onto her face. A large clearing surrounded by trees and leaves was what she saw, her paws making contact with soft moss and a huge waterfall with clear water fed into a deep lake off to the far right. A voice off to her left caught her attention, the pale grey lioness turning to see another lion in the clearing with them.

"Ushujaa, who's this lioness?"

The auburn lion walked towards the other pale chocolate brown lion and nuzzled him before placing a kiss on his cheek, Aibu smiling and giggling as Vivian watched the display with curiosity.

"Don't worry, she's someone I've known all my life. Aibu, this is my cousin Vivian."

The pale grey lioness smiled at the one named Aibu, the pale lion smiling back at her.

"It's nice to meet you, Vivian."

"Thank you, and it's very nice to meet you too."

"Now that you've both met, I should tell you a little bit more. Vivian, this is Aibu…he's my mate."

Before anyone else could speak, Vivuli appeared behind Vivian…the dark furred lion looking at the clearing in front of them as his eyes soon fell upon his ex fiancé and another male lion.

"Ushujaa?!"

"Vivuli?!"

The dark furred lion felt a huge grin creep onto his face, Vivuli unable to believe that Ushujaa was actually standing in front of him.

"You're alive…all this time, I thought you were dead…but you're standing here in front of us."

The auburn lion could hardly believe it himself that his ex fiancé was alive and healthy as his gaze drifted down to the slight bulge in his belly.

"You're pregnant? So I'm guessing you have a mate."

"Yeah…his name's Shakti. He's a tiger that got left behind by poachers who'd come to hunt animals, and he's my mate. Do you have a mate now, Ushujaa?"

"Yes, I do Vivuli. This (motions to Aibu) is Aibu, he's my mate…and we're gonna have a cub of our own very soon."

The dark furred lion was ecstatic, and knew that there would definitely be answers to all of his and Vivian's questions soon enough.

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T.B.C.- So, this chapter's done…next one will come out soon, so be ready for it. So, it's time for another translation:

*Shakti- Hindi for 'Strength'. I thought it would be nice to give him a non Swahili name, since he's a Siberian Tiger and not native to Africa. He's Vivuli's mate, and has a gentle disposition around Vivuli. He was pretty vicious towards the other lions when he was abandoned, since he was in an unfamiliar place and didn't know anyone there. He eventually began to soften up as Vivuli spent more time with him and made him feel like he belonged there.

*Haraka- Swahili for 'Fast'. Since he's a cheetah, this name seemed to fit him in my opinion. He's very sweet with a playful side that comes out no matter what time of day it is, and he had a relationship with Vivuli that ended when he had to leave the Pride Lands or risk starving to death.

I'll try to do some art of Shakti as soon as possible, so be ready for a pic to show up soon. For now, read and review please.


	9. Decisions

**The Lion King 4: Vengeance (a 'Lion King' fic)**

Disc.: If I could ever afford the rights to this highly successful movie/book series, I wouldn't be writing this at the moment.

A/N: Ok, it's hit a point in the story we're all familiar with in the movie…this one's gonna have a twist though, since it's the sequel to the first story I wrote for this movie series. But enough rambling, let's get on with the story.

 **Ch.9- Decisions**

If silence had a sound, it would be the wind blowing through the trees right now as Vivian just let her eyes go wide at what her cousin had just told her.

"D-Did you just say that he's your _mate_?"

"Yes, Vivian…Aibu is my mate, and we're gonna have a family soon. He's pregnant with my cub, and this is what we've always wanted."

As she watched the two lions nuzzle each other, she couldn't help but feel that he had given up on their homeland as she slightly glared at Ushujaa before speaking again.

"But what about your father, your aunt, your family back home? What of them? Did you forget that they're waiting for you?"

The auburn lion looked at his cousin again, his eyes taking on a bit of anger in their depths before he answered her questions.

"I can't go home, not after what happened."

"What are you talking about?"

"My own great uncle told me it was my fault that dad died, that if it wasn't for me he'd still be alive…I can never go home after I killed my own dad, I wouldn't be welcome there ever again."

"You really think you're responsible for his death?"

"Of course I am! He told me so himself, not to mention I found his body…so tell me, how can I go home after what I've done? How can I face father and told him I killed the one he loved more than anything else in the world?!"

Aibu watched as the two cousins argued back and forth, the pale chocolate brown lion looking away before his eyes took on a glint of seriousness and he spoke up…the action surprising both of them.

"Ushujaa, dear, maybe you _should_ go back home."

The auburn lion looked at his mate surprisedly, his ears going back slightly.

"But, I can't leave you here alone…you're gonna give birth soon and you'll need me to protect you when the cub is born. I won't leave my mate and child alone, it wouldn't be right."

"But you need to help your family, your father needs you."

"But you need me more, and I love you…I would never abandon you just to save a homeland that doesn't miss me."

"Honey, please go help your family…I may be pregnant, but that doesn't mean that I can't join you. No arguments, I'm coming with you Ushujaa."

At seeing the dead serious look his mate was giving him, the auburn lion sighed before giving in to the inevitable.

"Alright, I'll go help the Pride Lands…but that doesn't mean I'm gonna stay after the land is in our rule again, Vivian. If my mate wants me to come back to the jungle with him, then I'll go without hesitation."

Before the pale grey lioness could speak up again, there was a rustling behind them as Hofu walked into the clearing and started speaking to Aibu and Ushujaa.

"Hey Aibu, Ushujaa, sorry if I'm interrupting you but my uncle said he wants to talk to both of you. He says it's important, so if you could both just-" the other male lion would've kept talking to the two mates, but his eyes had fallen on the lioness in the clearing with them…her pale grey fur shining like polished silver in the moonlight.

"Ushujaa?"

"Yes, Hofu?"

"Who is this beautiful lioness with you guys?"

"(sighs) This is Vivian, she's my cousin."

"Vivian, huh? (trots up to Vivian) It's very nice to meet you. My name's Hofu, and I'm Aibu's brother. Maybe later, I can give you a tour of the jungle?"

"Hmm, maybe…anyway, you said that my cousin and his mate needed to see your uncle?"

"Oh, right…we caught someone in the jungle. He's a vulture, and he won't tell us how he found this place. Maybe you can help with that, Ushujaa?"

The auburn lion sighed, Hofu leading him to where they'd caught said vulture. Aibu and Vivian followed after them, both of them wondering who this vulture was.

After 20 minutes of walking through the jungle, they finally found Jua holding the bird under his paws and growling at him as the vulture whimpered fearfully at the much bigger cat glaring angrily at him.

When Ushujaa finally got to see the vulture, his eyes widened at who it was.

"Dad, let him go!"

At hearing his son's voice, the large brown lion looked up at the auburn lion standing there with his mate and another unfamiliar lioness.

"Why should I let him go? He's an intruder!"

"Because I know him…his name's Jasusi, and he's my great uncle's messenger. The lioness with me is my cousin Vivian, and she's no threat to anyone here. Please, let me speak with him…maybe I can find out why he's here."

Jua seemed reluctant to let the vulture go, but he finally relented when Ushujaa nodded at him reassuringly. Said vulture looked up at Ushujaa, Jasusi glad that the young lion was actually alive.

"Ushujaa, I can't believe that you're actually alive! Kisasi told all of us that you were dead, and everyone thinks that you are…but that's not important right now. It's about Kovu."

"My father? What's going on? Is he alright?!"

"No, he's not alright, Ushujaa…he's dying; he refuses to eat, since he believes you and Simba are dead. No one can get him to leave his perch or stop staring out at the sky long enough to eat anything, but he'll drink water so he stays hydrated. He needs to know that you're still alive, so please come home and show him that Kisasi lied to him."

At hearing that his father was dying, the auburn lion sighed heavily before looking at Jua…for as long as he could remember, the brown lion and his mate were the ones who took care of him. Jua could see that his little foundling was having an internal debate about whether he should stay with his mate or go back home to help his birth father, so he made the decision for him as he spoke up.

"Young one…I've always taught you that family is the most important thing in this world of ours, for what are we without family there to help see us through the difficult times? That being said, you should go help your birth father. We will be here waiting for you, should you choose to return to us…but your mother and I trust that you will do the right thing."

The auburn lion smiled at his foster father and nodded, Ushujaa turning away and running out of the jungle…Aibu, Vivian, and Hofu following after him. Jasusi took flight and followed them as well, all of them dead set on returning to the Pride Lands.

However, none of them knew they were being followed by a red maned, golden furred lion.

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T.B.C.- So, hope you guys liked that twist on the scene with Simba and Nala in the jungle before he goes back to the Pride Lands. Up next, the lions all return home to their once beautiful land…what will go down afterwards? You shall see when I type it up and post it.


	10. Not So Happy Homecoming

**The Lion King 4: Vengeance (a 'Lion King' fic)**

Disc.: If I could ever afford the rights to this highly successful movie/book series, I wouldn't be writing this at the moment.

A/N: So, we've reached a very familiar part of the story by now…if anyone's seen the movie, you know what happens at this point; for those who haven't, I suggest you go out and watch the movie before reading this fic as it's my sequel twist on the story before it. Anyway, I'll just jump into the story now so you won't complain about me taking too long.

 **Ch.10- Not So Happy Homecoming**

The journey from the jungle to the Pridelands was quite a trek for the group of 4 lions and vulture, night coming quickly as they reached a large outcropping of tall rocks. Each of them took shifts during the night to make sure they weren't ambushed by any creatures lying in wait, Ushujaa staying especially close to his mate and soon to be born child; Vivian took the first watch, followed by Hofu, then Jasusi and finally Ushujaa took the last one before they could rest easy during the night.

This was the routine for the next 3 days, but they eventually made it to the edge of the Pride Lands border…grey sand and dead plants beneath their paws; it made the auburn lion feel sick to see so much death around him. When he spotted a cliff and climbed up to the top, Ushujaa was shocked and angry to see what had happened to his homeland: everything was either dead or decayed, the land itself in advanced stages of dehydration with animal bones littered in heaps around the small cliffs. Deep ravines surrounded the rest of the cracked and dried out land, the auburn lion narrowing his eyes lividly at how his homeland had been turned from a fertile and beautiful paradise to a dead land where nothing could survive.

"It's awful, isn't it?" Vivian asked as she trotted up next to her cousin, both lions locking eyes briefly before they were joined by Hofu and Aibu. Jasusi had landed on a dead tree nearby, the vulture shaking his head sadly at how the land had become so ruined.

"I can't believe that anyone let this happen…is anyone in charge of the land right now?"

"Yes…Kisasi took over after he announced yours and your father's deaths to us, Ushujaa. Because of him, the animals all moved away and the land suffered; without prey to keep them fed, all the Pridesisters also suffered terribly." Vivian said as she sighed, her eyes holding a glimmer of sadness in them.

"But…there had to be _something_ for them to eat, right?"

The vulture looked at the auburn lion standing there on the cliff with a frown on his face, Jasusi's own expression becoming sullen before he answered Ushujaa's question.

"Yes…with no food, the lionesses began killing and eating the hyenas that make up your great uncle's army."

At hearing that some of his great uncle's lackeys had become food for his Pridesisters, Ushujaa actually smiled a bit. Aibu then trotted up to his mate and stood on his left side as he also surveyed the land, his eyes watering with tears at how desolate it was.

"I can't believe that someone could be so cruel as to let this happen…how will we get this land back from your great uncle, Ushujaa?"

"We'll find a way, my love…but not by standing here and staring at the ground. Let's get going, we have a land to save."

The group of 4 lions and Jasusi all nodded before heading off towards Pride Rock, the red maned/golden furred lion following after them.

(At Pride Rock)

Kisasi was watching over his land, the dark grey-brown lion feeling as if something was about to happen today…though he had no idea what exactly it was, but he decided to not worry too much on it. The hyenas were all crowded around the base of Pride Rock and even the path leading up to it, the lionesses all having gone out to look for water; they also wanted to get away from the Rock for a while, and this was the perfect way for them to get a little bit of freedom from their evil King's rule.

Kopa was currently out hunting with his fellow Pridesisters in the hopes of filling his own stomach, while Nala was watching over Pride Rock with Sarabi…the coffee brown lioness looking wearier than ever due to her being the oldest lioness at Pride Rock. She could still hunt, but wasn't in her prime anymore so she often spent her days keeping order and peace among the Pridesisters and animals that had once made up the whole of the Pridelands.

As the two lionesses just looked out at the bleak and dreary grey sky, the pale lioness sighed as she thought of her deceased son Simba…hearing of his death had hit her especially hard, and it was one of the reasons that she had closed off her emotions from others. She wouldn't even bring herself to smile anymore, so she just looked sad or depressed all the time. This was one of the reasons why she and Kopa were drifting apart; the golden furred lion hated seeing his wife so depressed, but nothing he did could make her smile so the two of them opted on just passing by each other every day and doing things to keep them busy while trying not to think about their marriage falling apart.

Kiara, on her part, had taken to staying out late and patrolling the Pride Lands borders with her daughter Neytiri…the two of them hoping that they would see signs of animals coming back so they could eat something other than hyena meat for once. It was always sunrise when the two lionesses would come back to Pride Rock, and Vivian was still out beyond the Pride Lands searching for food…the pale grey lioness had yet to return home, but Kiara knew that her daughter would come back no matter what.

As the sun started moving downward to denote sunset, Kopa and the Pridesisters returned to their home. Kiara and Neytiri stayed out to begin their late patrol…both lionesses inwardly happy that they wouldn't have to be anywhere near Kisasi and his heartless rule.

(Elsewhere with Ushujaa, Hofu, Aibu, Vivian, and Jasusi)

The group of four lions and a vulture had managed to stay hidden from the hyenas nearby, their numbers making Ushujaa pale slightly at how many there were. Vivian just narrowed her eyes at them; she never did like them, because they were lazy beasts that never did anything for themselves…they were just filthy scavengers, and mooched off of the spoils of other predators.

The auburn lion could see that his cousin held a deep hatred of the hyenas, Aibu feeling pity for the lionesses that probably lived here and were forced to put up with the hyenas every day. Hofu himself was ready to attack, but he held back until he was given the okay to do so. Jasusi was sitting on the ground and awaiting the order of the auburn lion, Ushujaa standing stock still as he thought of a good way to get everyone's attention.

After waiting for a few tense minutes, the auburn lion had come up with a strategy…though it was very risky.

"Alright, here's the plan…Jasusi, you fly ahead and find Zaira; tell her that you were scouting beyond the Pride Lands for intruders, but didn't find anything. Vivian, you go ahead and rally the lionesses…Hofu, Aibu, you both come with me and we'll find Kisasi. We'll make him wish he'd _never_ set paw in the Pride Lands."

All of them nodded at the auburn lion before leaving to do what they'd been told. Jasusi could only pray that this plan would work as he felt the wind gently lift him up into the air, his wings taking him towards where he knew the female Hornbill was most likely residing.

(With Zaira and Kovu)

The female Hornbill was one of the few that still stuck around the dark furred lion, his health declining more and more every day that passed; he was nearly bone thin and looked as if he was just moments away from death's door. He never did anything other than drink what little water could be found, or looked out at the grey horizon…she knew he was waiting for death to claim him so he could be with his family in the heavens above, but Zaira was determined not to let him go yet.

As she sat near Kovu, she caught movement in the corner of her eyes…Zaira looking up to see Jasusi flying towards her with a saddened expression on his face, the vulture landing on the ground and hobbling towards her.

"Jasusi…what brings you here today?"

"Hello, Zaira. I have come to tell you that my patrol of the lands beyond the Pride Lands turned up nothing at all; I spent my time looking for danger, and in the end it yielded nothing fruitful."

"At least you bothered to look, rather than just say it would be pointless and do not a thing to prove your words."

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

The two birds just sat there and stared out at the sky, both of them hoping things would be better soon.

(With Vivian)

The pale grey lioness had made her way towards her fellow Pridesisters, all of them glad Vivian had returned unharmed. Vitani was also relieved, as were Hawa and Sumai. The pale grey lioness then told them how her journey had yielded no food, but it had given her time to think of a way that they could take back their land.

Hawa, being one of the older and more experienced hunters, was prepared to do anything to take back the home that she had made for herself years ago…the grey-brown lioness eager to know what Vivian had in mind.

"So? What exactly do you plan to do about Kisasi?"

The other Pridesisters were also patiently waiting to hear what Vivian was going to say, and after another minute of waiting the pale grey lioness spoke up.

"We're gonna overthrow Kisasi…I think I speak for all of us when I say that we've had enough of his tyranny. He needs to know that even though he controls the land, he does _not_ control us! This is our only chance, and to not act on it would be foolish…are you with me, my sisters?"

All of the lionesses seemed hesitant to go against the King and his army, but they knew that they probably wouldn't get another chance to take back their land…so, one by one, they agreed as they slipped away to quietly put their plan into action.

(With Kiara and Nala)

The two lionesses knew that this search would most likely yield the same results as last time, so Nala and her daughter returned to Pride Rock to relay the bad news to the other Pridesisters. The golden furred lioness was also worried about her daughters, Vivian in particular…her oldest cub had yet to return home and she was starting to fear that she'd met with a terrible fate. The pale sandy blonde lioness could see that her daughter was worried about her own child, so she smiled at her reassuringly.

Upon returning to Pride Rock, Nala heard Kisasi call her name…the pale sandy blonde lioness knowing that he was probably angry that she had once again returned without food, so she sighed and started ascending the steep rock hill to get the chewing out over with.

(With Hofu, Aibu, and Ushujaa)

The three male lions were quietly moving towards Kisasi, all of them out of sight of the hyenas as they watched the 'King' standing at the top of Pride Rock. Ushujaa quietly growled lowly in his throat, the other two male lions with him observing the same thing. The dark grey-brown lion scowled at someone down below, his lips curling back to reveal fangs beneath an angered scowl as he called out to someone…the sound echoing loudly for all of them to hear.

" _Nala!_ "

Ushujaa looked up at hearing the mention of his grandmother's name, Hofu and Aibu also looking up at hearing the name. They all watched as a pale sandy blonde lioness began ascending the steep rock hill while ignoring the hyenas nipping at her heels, Hofu inwardly admitting to himself that she was beautiful…but he wouldn't let his appreciation of her beauty distract him from going through with the plan.

As they all watched Nala climb the steep rock hill slowly, Aibu hissed with pain as he felt a contraction hit him hard…a cry of discomfort muffled by his closed mouth as he tried his best not to be too loud, the auburn lion looking back at his mate worriedly.

"Aibu, what's wrong?"

"I…I think it's about time to give birth."

"Right now?! But you can't…we need more time!"

Hofu knew that they were running out of time, so he spoke up before the other two males with him got into a fight and gave away their location.

"Ushujaa…I'll keep an eye on my brother and his contractions. You go on ahead and confront your great uncle; I promise to keep him safe."

The auburn lion was hesitant to leave his mate in his time of need, but at seeing Hofu's determined gaze he nodded at them both…Ushujaa nuzzling his mate affectionately before slinking away to put his part of the plan into action.

He kept an eye on his grandmother as he managed to stay out of sight of the hyenas until he was crouching on a cliff nearest the very top of Pride Rock, Kisasi too preoccupied with royally chewing out Nala to even notice or smell that Ushujaa was nearby.

(With Nala and Kisasi)

The pale sandy blonde lioness had her eyes slightly narrowed at the other male in front of her, but she stood proud and unwavering against him with a look of indifference on her face as she spoke to him.

"Yes, Kisasi?"

The dark grey-brown lion was angry at Nala for not finding them anything to eat, and also for rejecting his offer to be his Queen. She had told him that Kopa was her only true mate, and that even though he was no longer in power as the ruler of Pride Rock she would rather face death then stand against him…which pissed him off to no end, and he was determined to make her accept his deal today as he spoke to her with a slightly harsh tone of voice.

"Where the hell is your hunting party? They're not doing their job!"

"Kisasi, there is no food…all the herds have moved on to greener lands."

"Oh no, you can't just stand there and tell me that they just up and left…you're obviously not looking hard enough."

"It's all over, Kisasi! There's nothing left! We only have one choice left to us now…if we're to survive, then we must leave Pride Rock."

The dark grey-brown lion wasn't expecting this from the lioness he wanted as his Queen, but it angered him nonetheless as he glared at her before becoming angry with her.

"We're not going anywhere."

"Then you have sentenced us to death!"

"So be it!"

Nala watched with an angered scowl on her face as Kisasi walked past her to stare out at the horizon again.

"You can't do that."

"I am the King…I can do whatever I damn well want."

The pale sandy blonde lioness continued to glare at the King, her blue eyes becoming clouded over with hatred at his words and actions as he turned back to look at her with a smirk on his face.

"Oh, dearest Nala…I don't mean to take such a tone with you. I will consider leaving Pride Rock, if…"

"If…?" Nala asked hesitantly, her ears going back in slight fear as she prepared herself for the other male's answer…though she already had a feeling as to what it was.

"If you'll be my Queen."

Her fear went away in an instant as she snarled at him before replying.

"Never…and I'll tell you why. My dearest Kopa always put the rest of the Pride before himself, and he's the one I'll always be mated to. Sure, he and I have hit a snag in our marriage, and maybe we've grown a little distant…but I will always love him, no matter what happens between us. You're nowhere _near_ half the King he is, and you will never-"

Kisasi had heard enough from Nala, so he hit her hard enough to send her sprawling across the ground with a deep growl from his throat.

"Foolish bitch! I am ten times the King that Kopa was!"

At seeing his grandmother get hit for speaking against Kisasi, Ushujaa about lost it so he let out a loud roar before starting to run down the cliff. The dark grey-brown lion looked up when he heard the loud roar, his view being obscured by the lightning flashing across the sky; he saw an outline of what he thought was Ushujaa, but that was impossible since he'd seen him run away years ago. Either way, Kisasi backed down fearfully with dread in his expression before speaking up.

The auburn lion trotted up to his grandmother and nuzzled her, Nala groaning at the sensation of another male lion's face against her own…the pale sandy blonde lioness opening her blue eyes and seeing nothing but a blur of white before she spoke up, her response being that she thought it was her mate checking to make sure she was alright.

"Kopa…?"

Ushujaa looked down at his grandmother and smiled, relief spreading through him at knowing that she was alright.

"No…it's me."

As the light of the lightning flash faded away, Nala's eyes widened when she saw just who it was that had spoken to her…the one she'd thought was dead for the last couple years, the one she thought she'd never see again…her beloved grandson, all grown up and smiling down at her.

"Ushujaa…you're alive!? But…how can this be?!"

"It doesn't matter now, grandma…I'm home."

Kisasi looked at the auburn lion nuzzling Nala, his own eyes widening when he saw that it was his great nephew…alive and well, and now an adult.

And judging by how loud that roar he'd let out earlier was, the dark grey-brown lion knew that he was royally fucked.

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T.B.C.- Wow…just…wow. So much writing, my fingers are gonna demand a vacation. Anyway, Ushujaa is back and he's out for blood. As always, read and review.


	11. Showdown Pt1

**The Lion King 4: Vengeance (a 'Lion King' fic)**

Disc.: If I could ever afford the rights to this highly successful movie/book series, I wouldn't be writing this at the moment.

A/N: So, I'm back after a long time away from this fic…I was up to my ears in holiday stuff and job hunting, which left me no time to get back to this until very recently. But, if anyone remembers the movie, then we all know what part the story has reached. Time to go in.

 **Ch.11- Showdown Pt. 1**

Ushujaa nuzzled his grandmother Nala for another minute before he turned his sights upon his great uncle, the older grey-brown lion looking like he wanted to run away in fear. Unfortunately for Kisasi, the auburn lion wasn't gonna give him that choice as he narrowed his eyes threateningly and started advancing on his great uncle with intent to make him pay for daring to strike Nala in any fashion.

"Give me one good reason not to tear you to shreds for hurting my grandmother."

Kisasi was genuinely scared of his great nephew, especially of the look of killer intent in his eyes as he backed up until he hit the nearest cliff wall…all while trying to talk his way out of the situation he was in.

"Please, Ushujaa; you don't understand. The pressures of ruling a Kingdom-"

The auburn lion cut him off, anger seeping into his tone of voice as he spoke to his great uncle.

"Are no longer yours, Kisasi. Step down, or I will have to force you to step down."

(With Simba)

The golden furred lion heard the roar that echoed loudly across Pride Rock, his heart filling with pride at the sound as he climbed up a path leading to where Kovu lay sleeping. His heart dropped at the horrible condition his mate had fallen into, Simba nearly crying because he hadn't come back sooner. The golden furred lion finally made it up onto the cliff ledge, a sad smile resting upon his lips as he gently ran a paw through Kovu's mane; the dark red-brown lion leaned into the gentle touch, his eyes opening slightly as he felt like he knew the lion stroking his tresses.

"Our son has come home, Kovu."

Kovu's eyes opened a little more at the voice, his mind recalling the familiarity as he wearily looked up to see Simba smiling sadly down at him…his heart weeping with joy at seeing his mate, who he thought was dead, alive and speaking to him.

"Simba…?! But Kisasi said that…that you died in the gorge that day, that you died trying to save our son."

"Kisasi has decieved all of you, even you my love…I am so sorry that I let you suffer so much due to my absence."

Kovu tried to sit up, but he was so weak that Simba had to help him…which the golden furred lion was more than happy to do as the two mates spent the next few minutes cuddling and purring before speaking again.

"I don't understand, Simba…if you were alive, why didn't you come back?"

Simba looked away from his mate sadly, his eyes holding pain and grief as he answered Kovu's question.

"I wanted to…so much. But I couldn't take the risk of Kisasi finding out, especially since I would've had to tell you that your great uncle was lying to you. Aside from your mother, he's the only other family you have left from her side of the clan. I didn't want to hurt you, Kovu…that's why I only just now came back."

"You hurt me more by _not_ being here."

"And that is something I deeply regret. Can you ever forgive me, Kovu?"

The dark furred lion shot his mate a half glare, because it was all he could do at the moment…but after a minute, he moved close to his mate and nuzzled him again.

"You're here now, that's all that matters to me…I've already forgiven you because I have you back again, you _and_ our son."

"Who's probably about to teach Kisasi why you never mess with our family."

Kovu smiled slightly at that, the two lions enjoying the silence and each other's warmth.

(With Ushujaa)

The dark grey-brown lion knew he needed to find a way to regain the upper hand, and his great nephew glaring at him gave him an idea.

"Yes, well you see, there's one small problem. You see them?"

Kisasi raised one of his clawed paw toes up at the hyenas smiling down at them, Ushujaa glancing briefly at them before looking back at his great uncle.

"They think _I'm_ King."

"Well _we_ don't…Kopa is the rightful King, until he says otherwise." Vivian said as she appeared on the cliff with the other lionesses: Hawa, Sumai, Vitani, Saraphina, Nala, Kula, Neytiri, and even Sarabi. All of them glared at Kisasi, the lionesses waiting for Ushujaa to make the first move or issue the first order in place of his father.

"You heard them, Kisasi. My grandfather is still the rightful King, and now you have a choice: either step down or fight."

The dark grey-brown lion knew his only way out was to lie, so he put his diplomacy skills to use.

"Oh, come now, dear great nephew…must this all end in violence? I'd really hate to be responsible for the death of a family member, wouldn't you agree, Ushujaa?"

Ushujaa knew exactly where his great uncle was going with this, so he did his best not to be intimidated by Kisasi's words.

"That's not gonna work this time, great uncle. I've put the past behind me."

"Ah, but what of your faithful subjects? Have _they_ put it behind them?"

Vivian, like all the other lionesses present, was confused by what Kisasi was saying.

"Ushujaa, what is he talking about?"

Seeing the confused looks on the lionesses' faces, Kisasi took advantage of the situation and used it to his own end.

"Ah…so you haven't told them your little secret. Well now's your chance to tell them, dear great nephew. Tell them…who is responsible for Simba's death?"

Before the auburn lion could answer, Simba stepped out of the shadows and stood next to his son. Ushujaa could barely look at his father, the golden furred lion knowing that now wasn't the time to bring up such a horrible memory as he glared at Kisasi and spoke to the lionesses he was more than happy to call Pridesisters.

"Pridesisters, you've been lied to. It wasn't Ushujaa's fault that I was nearly killed that day…Kisasi is the one who committed the act. Now is your chance; rise up against him and take back what is rightfully ours!"

Seeing Simba alive gave Nala the resolve she needed to lead the attack against the dark grey-brown lion, the hyenas rushing down the cliff to meet them halfway. A massive fight broke out on Pride Rock, the sounds of roars, growls, whimpers, and screams carried loudly over the whole structure as Ushujaa spotted his great uncle trying to escape. The auburn lion was beyond pissed and gave chase, both of them ending up on a cliff facing out towards the savannah…Ushujaa ready to draw blood.

(With Hofu and Aibu)

The two brothers were trying to stay away from the fight, especially since Aibu had started going into labor. The older of the two brothers had been trying to urge his brother not to have the baby yet, but it seemed that had fallen on deaf ears as the sounds of rapid panting through clenched teeth and grunts of discomfort permeated the atmosphere.

"Aibu, please try and control the contractions. You don't want your child to be born in the middle of a war, do you?"

"No…but I may not have a choice. This cub wants to be born right now, and time is against us."

"I know…come on, Ushujaa; pick up the pace. You need to be here for Aibu and the cub he's gonna give birth to at any moment."

The two brothers managed to find a cave on Pride Rock that was unoccupied, Aibu lying on his side and breathing in short quick bursts as Hofu took up a defensive position to protect his brother and soon-to-be-born niece or nephew.

The older lion prayed to the Three Sisters that the war would end very soon, or else Ushujaa would miss out on seeing his child being born.

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T.B.C.- Yup, the war has begun. The next chapter will have Ushujaa facing off against his deceptive great uncle, Kisasi. Who will come out on top in the end? The next chapter will decide that.


	12. Showdown Pt2

**The Lion King 4: Vengeance (a 'Lion King' fic)**

Disc.: If I could ever afford the rights to this highly successful movie/book series, I wouldn't be writing this at the moment.

A/N: So, we're coming down to the wire and the finale is on its' way…but not just yet. There's still a little more left to write, so I'm gonna push on through to the end.

 **Ch.12- Showdown Pt.2:**

Hofu kept standing guard inside the cave that his brother was in, the younger pregnant male trying not to have the cub until Ushujaa was there at his side…but the contractions were coming quicker than before, proving his efforts to be almost for nothing. The older lion would've stayed at Aibu's side, but the sounds of paws on stone brought his attention to the entrance of the cave.

Hofu looked up at the cave entrance and saw a dark furred male lion with a noticeable stomach bulge being helped into the cave with a tiger at his side. The tiger was obviously male because of his big, bulky frame; the two of them were conversing quietly when they both looked at the back of the cave and saw Hofu protecting a younger male lion.

"Hofu? What are you doing here?" Vivuli asked, Shakti trying not to become too protective at the moment.

"My brother's going into labor, and we're trying to stall for time until Ushujaa gets here. He should be here to see his child be born, and yet he's fighting."

"He's fighting who?"

"His great uncle Kisasi. I think all the other lionesses are helping by keeping the hyenas from interfering."

Vivuli nodded before he was escorted to the back by his mate, the large male tiger making sure the dark furred lion was comfortable as he pushed him down onto his side gently with one of his large paws.

The dark brown lion smiled at the love filled bond between Vivuli and the tiger, said tiger walking over to him a minute later.

"Is the younger pregnant male your mate?"

"No. He's my brother."

"Ah, I see. Looks like both of us are protecting someone we love. My name is Shakti, by the way."

"And my name is Hofu. Do you think the war will end soon?"

"I should hope so. This is not the kind of world I want my first child born into, and I know your brother feels the same."

Hofu smiled at the tiger speaking to him when Aibu let out a loud scream, the scent of blood hitting his nose and panic filled the dark brown lion as he ran to his brother's side.

"Aibu? What's wrong?!"

"Th-The cub…it's coming, Hofu! Please…go get help."

"No…I can't leave you here alone, Aibu. You could be killed if I left you right now!"

Shakti looked over at the brothers and heard them arguing, Vivuli looking at him pleadingly…the large tiger walking over to stand near the two brothers and spoke up, their argument ending abruptly.

"This is no time to be fighting, especially when a baby is on the way. Hofu, go get your brother's mate and also someone to help Aibu through this painful time in his life. I'll watch them both and make sure nothing happens to them. Go get help, Hofu."

The dark brown lion glanced at his brother, who had blood pooling out of his mouth from biting his tongue to keep from crying out. Hofu then looked at Shakti and nodded before running out of the cave, the large male tiger taking up a protective position near both pregnant males.

(With Ushujaa and Kisasi)

The grey-brown lion had run away from his royally pissed off great nephew, Kisasi eventually ending up on a cliff that had a very long drop onto another ledge below it. A fall like that would either break all his bones or kill him as he started backing away from the edge, only to be stopped by Ushujaa roaring and jumping onto the cliff behind him…the grey-brown lion looking at his great nephew in fear.

"Murderer."

"Ushujaa, please…I-I can explain-"

"You don't deserve to live, especially after what you did. You nearly destroyed my family and tore them apart, and why? All so you could take what doesn't rightfully belong to you."

"Ushujaa, you don't understand…it wasn't my fault, I swear."

"Why should I believe you? Everything you ever told me, told everyone here at Pride Rock, is a lie." Ushujaa said as he got up close to his great uncle, the two lions locked in a staring contest.

"Wh-What are you going to do to me? You wouldn't kill your dear old great uncle, would you?"

It took everything Ushujaa had not to lose what little patience he had left, the auburn furred lion exhaling sharply through his nose sharply before speaking in a clipped and angered tone.

"No, Kisasi. I'm not like you, or your sister."

"Oh, thank you so much Ushujaa. I swear that I'll make it up to, even if it takes me the rest of my life. Just tell me what I can do."

"I know exactly what you can do, great uncle."

"What?"

Silence fell between them before Ushujaa spoke in a threatening tone.

"Run. Run away, Kisasi, and _never_ return."

The older grey-brown lion could still see murderous intent in Ushujaa's eyes, so he knew now was the time to make a move as he complied with his great nephew's angered order.

"Y-Yes…of course. As you wish…"

The auburn furred lion watched his great uncle carefully, the grey-brown lion stopping near a stick that was nestled on a bed of hot coals from a fire started by a lightning strike earlier that night. At first he thought that Kisasi was gonna try to lie his way out of this situation like before, but was unprepared for what happened next.

"Your Majesty!" Kisasi said as he used his paw to fling the stick and burning coals at Ushujaa's face, the auburn furred lion feeling their intense heat hit him right in his eyes. Ushujaa did his best to get rid of the burning coals before they blinded him, but he was roughly tackled to the ground by his great uncle…the two lions battling each other fiercely until only one would be left standing, dead or alive.

(With Kopa)

The older red maned lion had come back from his patrol to a scene from his worst nightmare: all his Pridesisters fighting with hyenas that greatly outnumbered them, most of them battered and dead while others were still fighting. Even Sarabi was putting up a decent fight, the older brown-grey lioness still able to defend herself despite her age. Kopa soon found his son Simba fighting a few hyenas with his nieces helping out, the older red maned lion not seeing Nala anywhere in the crowd.

Unable to bear the sight of his family in danger anymore, Kopa let out a roar loud enough to shake the ground beneath their paws…the hyenas realizing after looking at their dead friends that this battle was lost, so they retreated back to their original territory in the Elephant Graveyard. The ones that'd died were eaten by the other lionesses that were still hungry, Kopa looking everywhere for his beloved Queen and eventually finding her collapsed against a cliff side. The older red maned lion ran up to his mate, concern in his dark brown eyes as they held each others' gaze.

"Nala, are you ok?"

The sandy blonde lioness, who was covered in scratches and blood, smiled wearily at her mate. A bruise from Kisasi striking her earlier was swelling up slightly under her left eye, the discoloration making her face look like she was being abused. Kopa saw the bruise and suddenly felt like he was responsible for what had happened to Nala, his ears going flat against his head in sadness.

"I'm so sorry. If only I'd made the effort to show you I love you more often, then you wouldn't be hurt like this."

Nala, feeling happy at knowing her mate still loved her, raised a paw and stroked Kopa's face as she smiled at him.

"Kopa, please don't be so sad. Truth is, I could've made more of an effort myself. Kisasi had us all wrapped around his paws like puppets, and I never should've let his deceit or the lie of our son and grandson being dead affect me as much as it did. So I'm partly to blame for this, too. Can you forgive me, my dear Kopa?"

The older red maned lion never could stay angry at his mate very long, so he pulled her close and nuzzled her happily…a deep purr emanating from deep in his throat, the sandy blonde lioness also purring with joy. After a few minutes, he looked at the bruise again and felt anger rising up inside him at seeing such an ugly mark on his beautiful Queen.

"This bruise…did Kisasi do this?"

"Yes, he did. He kept asking me to be his Queen, but when I refused _this_ time…he got physical."

Kopa had to restrain himself while holding his Queen, Nala sensing his murderous tendencies because of how he flexed his paws against her shoulders. The sandy blonde lioness then moved away from her red maned mate and nodded, Kopa smiling at his Queen before he ran off to make Kisasi pay.

If there was one thing that Kopa would never tolerate, no matter what, it was physically striking his mate.

(With Ushujaa)

The auburn furred lion had been exchanging blows with his great uncle for several minutes, Kisasi having knocked him onto his back and was now leaping at him. Thinking back to when he did this with Hofu when they were training, Ushujaa let his great uncle land on top of him but tucked his back legs under the grey-brown lion's lower belly and catapulted him over the edge of the cliff, the action sending Kisasi onto the lower ledge and knocking him unconscious.

As the auburn furred lion looked down at his unmoving great uncle, Ushujaa smiled knowing that it was all over and that things would return to normal. As he looked away from the fallen lion, he saw Hofu standing across from him and panting like he'd chased after a herd of zebra but lost sight of them.

"Hofu…is everything alright? Where's Aibu?"

Regaining his voice after catching his breath, he spoke quickly because time was against them.

"Ushujaa…you have to hurry. My brother has gone into labor! He's been trying to hold out until you get there, but I don't know how much longer he can wait before it becomes life threatening for your child."

"What?! Are you absolutely sure that he's gone into labor?"

"Yes! He said he can feel the baby coming, and he wants you to be there to see your child be born. We have to hurry!"

The auburn furred lion nodded before following Hofu to where his mate was waiting, Zaira having watched everything from the sky as she went to go get an old friend that could help with male pregnancy cub delivery.

(With Kisasi)

The older grey-brown lion could feel his bones moving around uncomfortably, the fall having fractured them and leaving his muscles aching as he tried to sit up. As he opened his eyes, Kisasi found himself staring at a very angry Kopa…the red maned lion already unsheathing his claws and baring his fangs, a deep growl spilling out of his mouth.

Before Kisasi could say anything after managing to sit up, Kopa had his fangs clamped tight around his windpipe. The older grey-brown lion tried struggling in the powerful hold, his strength leaving him as he heard the very last words anyone would ever say to him.

"How dare you touch my Queen. You will pay for that with your life, Kisasi."

Kopa growled one last time before he clamped down even tighter on Kisasi's throat, the red maned lion snapping the older grey-brown lion's neck in one quick motion as he threw the now lifeless body off of Pride Rock forever.

Wherever it ended up, Kopa couldn't care less as he walked away from his victory. As he made his way back to the other lionesses, the sky became covered with dark clouds as he found them all waiting for him. All of them were smiling happily at their King, Simba also smiling happily at his father as Nala walked up to him and nuzzled him; Sarabi did the same before smiling at her son, Kopa climbing the cliff and stopping at the top of Pride Rock as he knew in his heart that everything was once again as it should be.

The red maned lion then opened his mouth and let out a roar so loud it echoed off of everything in sight, the lionesses following suit and roaring with pride and happiness.

Once again, the rightful King had taken his place at Pride Rock, and all was finally right with the world as they knew it.

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T.B.C.- Whew, finally done with this chapter. Up next is the finale, as well as the birth of Ushujaa and Aibu's baby. Should it be a boy or a girl? You guys decide before I write it out.


	13. Peace Returned

**The Lion King 4: Vengeance (a 'Lion King' fic)**

Disc.: If I could ever afford the rights to this highly successful movie/book series, I wouldn't be writing this at the moment.

A/N: Well, here we are…the finale of this fic. I checked my reviews for it, and I wanna thank RitaOraHalloween for helping me decide the gender of Ushujaa and Aibu's baby. I've decided to make it a girl, and I already know how she'll be born…I'm glad this story has so many that like it as much as they do, and this story might actually be the finale of my Lion King series of stories, as I do have other fics to get back to and/or end. I won't keep you guys waiting for too much longer, since some of you hate the rambling but I had to put it in somewhere.

 **Ch.13- Peace Returned**

The sky became dark with rain clouds that opened up and let a vicious torrent of water cover everything, the water washing away bones of dead animals and hyenas as lightning streaked across the sky followed by thunder booming loudly. Sarabi was as proud as any mother could be, her soft brown eyes smiling as she reveled in the rain falling on her just like the other Pridesisters did.

(With Zaira)

The female Hornbill was flying as fast as she could through the storm, the rain obscuring her vision as she frantically looked for the old baobab tree that someone she knew lived in. After desperately trying to see through the rain falling in her line of vision, Zaira eventually saw a soft light glowing inside the tree as she flew towards it.

Instead of landing gracefully, like she hoped she would, Zaira ended up crashing into one of the thick branches and falling to the bottom of the tree…water staining the wood as she did her best to shake some of it off her feathers and clear her vision.

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

Zaira saw a decent sized fire burning in the center of a round circle of stones, the flames being contained as she hobbled over to warm herself up and maybe dry her feathers from the heat. The sound of soft feet padding on one of the upper levels of the huge tree was followed by a loud voice calling loudly after a couple minutes.

"Who there? Who come a-calling on old Rafiki? Eh?"

"Down here, Rafiki!"

The old Mandrill came down to where he'd obtained the fire by holding a tree branch outside in the rain and waiting for it to catch fire via lightning strike, Rafiki plodding towards Zaira with a curious expression on his face.

"What brings you here in a storm like this, Zaira?"

"Simba's grandchild is about to be born…we need your help again, Rafiki. Ushujaa's mate is in labor, and he can't hold out for too much longer."

The old Mandrill understood what this meant, because he was also the one who helped deliver Ushujaa into the world when Simba went into labor some time ago. Rafiki climbed back up into the tree and grabbed the very same instrument he'd used on Simba to deliver his son: a dagger carved from an elephant's tusk, the sharpened bone tied to a branch from the baobab tree he lived in with a strong vine that had yet to wear out.

The old Mandrill then grabbed the ceremonial staff he used at every birthing he went to at Pride Rock, from Mufasa and Scar's birth on up to the one about to take place as Zaira and Rafiki jumped out into the storm and hurried to Pride Rock as quickly as possible.

(At Pride Rock)

Ushujaa and Shakti were both inside the cave with their mates, the pregnant males both lying down as the rain poured around them to the point of almost flooding the land. The auburn furred lion paced around the cave while his mate was breathing quickly in short breaths, Aibu feeling the cub moving around inside him as he could feel his insides stretch painfully.

The large male tiger could see that Ushujaa was doing his best not to snap at anyone, Shakti keeping watch as the other lionesses waited outside the cave in the rain. An hour later, a Mandrill walked into the cave with a staff and dagger in hand as he expected to be helping Vivuli have his child…but was surprised when the dark furred lion motioned towards the pale brown lion further away.

Ushujaa then walked up to Rafiki and spoke in a hushed tone.

"Aibu is my mate, not Vivuli…please help him, and our child, Rafiki."

The old Mandrill looked over at the pale chocolate brown lion panting heavily, Rafiki nodding as he reached down and felt Aibu's lower belly…the cub squirming under his paw beneath the fur covered skin.

"Ok, I can feel the cub…it's ready to come out, but the rest of you must leave until I tell you it's time. Ushujaa, other boy, time for both of you to go."

"But I can't! Aibu needs me! My mate-"

"Will be fine, I'll see to that. Have faith, Ushujaa…in me _and_ the Three Sisters."

The auburn furred lion wanted to protest further, but he knew that the old Mandrill was right as he walked out of the cave with Shakti at his side. The other Pridesisters each looked at their Prince as he regarded them with a slightly saddened expression, Simba and Kopa both reassuring Ushujaa that everything would work out in the end. The rain was finally slowing down to a light drizzle as the sound of pained roaring came out of the cave, Ushujaa having to be held back by the lionesses to keep him from entering the cave and possibly killing Rafiki before the job was done.

As the minutes stretched by and the rain finally died down, the sun was starting to color the horizon a dark blue as Rafiki came out of the cave with a smile on his face.

"Ushujaa…it is time. Go see your mate and daughter."

The auburn furred lion nodded as the lionesses moved aside to let him into the cave. Ushujaa walked into the cave and found Aibu looking down at a small furry bundle nestled between his front legs, the pale chocolate brown lion smiling at Ushujaa as he approached them. The two mates nuzzled happily before Aibu leaned down and licked the tiny cub on her head, the little bundle of fur looking up at her father with dark green eyes and smiling.

"Well? What do you think of our little girl, Ushujaa?"

"Oh, Aibu…she's absolutely beautiful. And I know the perfect name for her."

"Really? What will we call her?"

"Her name will be *Furaha…the 'Happy' one."

Aibu smiled at his mate and then at his daughter as he spoke softly.

"I think it's perfect, Ushujaa. Our little Furaha, born in a time of peace."

The two mates shared this peaceful moment with their child, the sunlight peaking into the cave and shining its' bright warmth on the new family.

(3 days later)

Rafiki had officially christened Furaha with a mark like he'd done to all the cubs born at Pride Rock, including Vivuli and Shakti's son *Chanchal. Every lioness came to see the whole event, even Sarabi…though it was getting harder for her to get up and walk around everyday due to her age, but she wanted to see her great-great granddaughter and she was glad she'd come as she looked at her very happy family.

Furaha had dark auburn fur at least a full shade darker than her father's with sandy blonde fur on her belly and her mouth, her eyes being a dark forest green with a dark pink nose the same shape as Kovu's. She was barely the height of her father's paw, but that was to be expected of her since she was only a few days old.

The Pridelands themselves had become fertile, lush, and green again, the animals that left all came back and peace had settled once more over the territory that Simba's large family called home. Vivuli had decided to bring his son to meet the Pridesisters, Shakti coming up the cliff with Chanchal in his teeth and smiling proudly. After the cubs had been born, everything was cleared up between them and both children were celebrated as the large male tiger set his son down on the ground to play with Furaha.

Chanchal was what the humans called a Liger, which meant that he would probably have his father's body size and stripes, but would also most likely never grow a full mane as he locked eyes with the lioness cub trying to play with him…Furaha hobbling over and growling playfully in her kitten-like voice. Chanchal had amber-brown eyes as he lifted a tiny paw and batted it against the top of Furaha's head, the parents smiling down at the two cubs playing together.

These were the moments that made life living in the Pridelands worth it every day. A few days later, Aibu had Jasusi go to his family to tell them that he would be staying in the Pridelands to raise his daughter with Ushujaa and his brother would be returning to the jungle with Vivian as his bride. Kiara was sad to see her oldest daughter leave and Neytiri was crying, but they both knew that her happiness was what mattered the most as they both left the Pridelands to go live with the jungle prides and start their future together. As for the new cubs, life for them would be full of adventure, trials, and family to protect them as they too would grow up in the Pridelands together.

Because, when everything was said and done, the future was as bright as the sun warming the land they called home.

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And that's the end of this story! Time for two final translations and closing words:

*Chanchal- Hindi for 'Playful'. He's as his name says: a big, happy goofball who always wants to make others smile. He knows when it's time to be serious and when it's time to be the big playful pussycat he loves being at any hour of the day.

*Furaha- Swahili for 'Happy'. She's a very sweet, happy-go-lucky girl who almost always has a smile on her face, and tends to look on the bright side of things. She's the one who will be bright and cheery even when others are feeling down, and will do her best to pick her friends back up when they need it the most.

For those who have kept up with these Lion King stories I've written, I wanna say thanks for sticking around from beginning to end and please continue to support my stories as I write them. See you guys later!


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